The Sky's the Limit
by JokertheMatrix
Summary: Steampunk AU. Arthur never expected to see him again, especially after what happened six years ago. Alfred never expected to return either, but he finds out that there is more to Arthur than meets the eye. Multiple side pairings, though mostly hinted at
1. You've Got to be Kidding Me

**Thought of this when I read a Steampunk USUK story. I hope you guys like it~ (this will probably be the longest thing I'll write) Hetalia isn't mine**

_**P.S. That story would be "You Can't Take the Sky From Me" by EverythingIsMagic. I can't believe I never said this before.**_

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><p>"<em>Coincidence is only but a trick of fate."<em>

With a _click,_ Arthur Kirkland locked the door to his bookshop. Stuffing his key into his coat pocket, Arthur thought about today's events. It had been a satisfactory work day; no robberies, no brawls, nothing. Just another day of managing a small bookshop in a crowded city. Drawing his dark velvet overcoat around himself to protect against the night's chill, Arthur prepared to go home. He turned around only to bump into an unknown mass of fat, the force of which slammed him into the door.

"Watch where you're going, you-" Arthur started angrily, rubbing the spot where it his head hit the oak door. He glared at the other man, only for his expression change to surprise.

"Alfred?" Arthur said, meeting the smile of the other with his dumbfounded gaze.

Life had long turned gray to Arthur. He had learned at a young age that life was a cruel, inescapable monster that was fatal to any person who faced it unprepared. To Arthur, the fleeting moments of happiness that life often granted were hardly worth fighting for; what use was it to fight for something that would only turn into a living hell later? A rather cynical view of life, but this was not always so. At one point, Arthur could tell you what it meant to be truly happy despite all of life's hardships.

However, life was cruel, so those blissful times were snatched from him, the chances of return highly unlikely; more than once, Arthur felt like bludgeoning himself for letting his guard down and falling for life's trap.

So it came to be a great surprise to Arthur when he was face-to-face with the person he never thought to see again. In fact, he was even willing to bet his life's supply of tea that he would never cross paths with him again after what happened six years ago.

"Long time no see, Artie! I knew I'd find you here!" Alfred F. Jones beamed at Arthur, who just stood there, mouth agape. He was wearing tan trousers with a white, cotton shirt under his maroon aviator's jacket. A stray piece of his short, blond hair stuck out from under his cap and goggles. With a shock, Arthur realized how much he had changed.

Six years had taken a toll on Alfred; for starters, he now wore glasses over his sky blue eyes. Arthur also noted that it was him who had to look up just to meet Alfred's eyes, not the other way around. A self-assured, confident air hung around him, making him the stark opposite of the timid, callow youth that Arthur remembered. Arthur couldn't believe that this was the same person who would come to him for comfort whenever he read a scary book.

"Artie?" Alfred waved a hand in front of his face, causing Arthur to realize that he was staring. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it in an instant. What could you say to a person you haven't seen in six years, but now shows up and acts like they just saw you yesterday? "You okay there dude?"

"Don't call me Artie!" He snapped, finally breaking out of his daze. "And what the bloody hell is a 'dude'? I am a gentleman, not a ' dude'."

Alfred burst into boisterous laughter, irking Arthur even more. "C'mon now Artie, lighten up! You're acting like an old man!"

Arthur scowled, deciding to ignore the last comment. _This has to be a dream...or a nightmare. _"What are you doing in Memoria, Alfred?" his tone was as icy as a winter night in Nievus, a complete contrast to his bewildered expression before. "I thought aviators belonged at Caelum," he spoke the word _aviator_ like it was a curse. "Unless, of course, you are just wearing that ridiculous outfit for sport?"

Alfred's grin faltered; he looked at his former caretaker with a mix of irritation and exasperation. "I can't believe you're still on that- so what if I'm an aviator now?" He gestured to his clothes. "It's been six years, Arthur, _let it go._"

_Of all the insensitive things to say-! _Rage coursed through Arthur like a poison. He clenched his fists at his sides, trying to keep his fury in check. Didn't he have any idea how _hurt_ Arthur felt after Alfred had left him?

He took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm himself. "I don't know why you're here, Alfred, and I'm beginning to care less why, but it is getting late and I am weary from today's work," a complete lie, but he needed _some_ reason to get away from this man. "So if you will excuse me, I must be going. Good day, Mister Jones," Arthur swept past Alfred- this was truly a horrible way to end his day.

"Arthur wait!" a hand clasped his wrist in a vice-grip. "Give me one chance. I know things haven't been the greatest with us-" Arthur let out a derisive chuckle at this, which Alfred pointedly overlooked. "-But the least you can do is let me explain myself! C'mon, aren't you even the _least_ bit curious as to why I returned to this place, instead of staying at Caelum?"

Arthur felt like punching the daylights off of him; he really didn't need any more reminding of that Alfred had left him. It was as if Alfred knew exactly which words would hurt him the most. He gritted his teeth as he pondered over his options. He _could_ just say no and be on his way, forgetting today and going on with life as usual, but...

Arthur let out a reluctant sigh and nodded; he _was _rather curious why Alfred was here. If that short time he spent with Alfred meant anything, it at least taught him that Alfred rarely did things without a purpose. _Or with consideration of the other person._ He thought bitterly.

The grip on his wrist slackened and Arthur turned to face him, hands crossed over his chest and a glower on his face. "Make this quick- I'm a busy man, Alfred, and I need to be up early tomorrow."

Alfred shifted uncomfortably; no doubt he was surprised that the angered man actually listened to him. "Well...as you can see, I'm an aviator now," a deeper scowl, but no other reaction. "And well... I signed up on the Caetian military. Turns out I was pretty good at it-" Confidence filled Alfred as he mentioned it, the foolish grin back on his face and an added straightness to his posture. "-so I got drafted to the Memorian military," Alfred paused and looked at Arthur expectantly, as if he was expecting the former to praise him.

To his disappointment, Arthur did no such thing. "And how does this explain why you are _here,_" Arthur waved at the space in front of him. "Instead of the base of whichever unit you are now assigned to?"

"Well, it's a funny story really..." Alfred rubbed the back of his head and avoided Arthur's eyes. "See, I'm not supposed to be there until tomorrow, but I left Caelum early so that I wouldn't be late," _So the boy has planning skills. _Arthur thought dryly. "And it's too late to look for an inn..."

Alfred paused, taking a sudden interest in his boots. Arthur tapped his foot impatiently. "Go on."

Alfred looked at Arthur sheepishly and took a deep breath. "...so I thought that I could stay at your place for the night," he finished lamely. It took some time until Arthur finally registered what Alfred said.

_Is this some kind joke? _Disbelief was the only thing keeping Arthur's anger at bay. _Does he actually think, after everything that he's done to me, that I'll just let him back in my house? _However, one look at Alfred's expression told Arthur that he was actually being serious, throwing him back into a sour mood.

"Why don't you just have Francis set up a place for you? He has done so much for you- surely he can do this as well," Despite the sneering tone, bitterness was laced in every word.

"I stopped relying on him a long time ago," Arthur flinched at the defiant tone in Alfred's voice; it reminded him of the last time such a tone was used on him. "If I'm going to make my way through the world, then I have to do so through my efforts, not through someone else's money- or their decisions," he added as an afterthought, looking at Arthur full-on. Arthur gulped, wishing that he was away from those resolute blue eyes.

"I see."

Silence enveloped them like the night sky. For a while, they stood there under the glow of the gaslights, bold, sky blue orbs meeting wounded emerald green. Finally, Arthur spoke.

"Yes."

"Huh?" Alfred looked taken aback at the sudden break of silence.

"You can stay at my house for the night," Arthur's voice was lifeless, as if someone just forced him to admit that his cooking was horrible, though Alfred didn't seem to notice.

"Awesome! You're the best, Artie!" Alfred pumped a fist to the air enthusiastically.

Arthur huffed and pushed past Alfred. "I'm not doing this for you; as a gentleman, it is only polite to offer help to those who need it."

"Sure Artie, and countries are people," Alfred laughed as he trailed behind Arthur. "Just admit that my awesomeness was too much for you, so you let me crash at your place."

Arthur sighed. This was going to be a very tiresome night.


	2. What Just Happened?

"_Things are never the same twice."_

Alfred hated the city.  
>Correction: Alfred hated <em>this <em>city.  
>As he walked aimlessly through the cobblestone streets, Alfred couldn't help but think this. There were a lot of things you could hate in Memoria; it was packed with brick houses and gaslights, there was clearly a division in the social classes, and the "progress" in the city was choking. Not to mention, everyone seemed like they were out to get you. It was much easier to prefer the clear, open spaces and simplicity in Caelum, but...<p>

Alfred began to remember how Memoria looked like to him when he was a child. Such a big city, how could he _not_ explore it? He could still remember running through the streets half-dragging his little brother Matthew with him; the memory was so fresh that it might as well have happened yesterday. Heck, he could even remember going back to Francis's house and telling Arthur about everything he had seen that day, ignoring the scolding Alfred got from him on how he should've had an adult with him instead of running off. It always made him laugh remembering the look Arthur would give him when he would tell Arthur that he was barely an adult himself...

Alfred sighed. Speaking of Arthur, he hadn't seen him all day; he was gone the minute he woke up, only leaving behind a letter that basically nagged him on keeping everything clean. It was as if everything that happened yesterday was just dirt in the wind. He wondered what was wrong with him; it was almost as if Arthur was avoiding Alfred. But that couldn't happen, right?

He continued to walk through the streets, hands in his pockets and whistling some random tune. He supposed that he _should_ be doing something important instead of wandering around, but he didn't know what. Even though he was in the military, there was nothing he could do; he wasn't going to tell Arthur that the unit he's in was pretty much the joke of the Royal Military.

Alfred looked back through the first time he walked through the pitiful, gray dome that was his unit's headquarters- in short, this morning. It wasn't an impressive sight; it looked as if someone took a nickel, badgered it, attempted to make it in the shape of a dome, but quit halfway through and placed it in probably the most uneventful place in all of Memoria- near the border of the Rural District, which only housed green fields and farmers who were as criminal as pickles. Even if he didn't know that his unit was the worst, it would have been pretty obvious just by looking at the place.

The inside wasn't pretty either; metallic walls, some cubbies, a round table, and three guys sitting around it. The guy on the right was a heavy-set man somewhere around his mid-twenties. He wore his dark brown hair tied back in deadlocks and was wearing the standard green uniform of the Memorian military over his tanned skin. He was smoking a cigarette and laughing away the other man's annoyed comments.

The man in the middle was obviously the leader; he was wearing the red armband that generals wore. He also wore the Memorian military uniform and was considerably fairer than the darker-skinned man he was arguing with. He had blond hair in a chin-length bob cut under a white hat, green eyes, and looked as if he was going to murder the cigarette-smoking man. Something was strapped around his back, but it was hard to see at the angle Alfred was looking from. A vein started to pop out of the man's forehead as he tried to reach for whatever was strapped around his back.

Meanwhile, the man on the left was as calm as a fiddle; he didn't even flinch as the leader took out a gun from his long coat. Though less tanned than the man on the right, he was admittedly darker than most Memorians. He had a white cloth tied around his face, covering whatever hair he probably had. He was calmly stroking a black dog near his feet as the two men were arguing.

"Calm down, Vash! It's not like the cigarette will burn the place!" the man stopped laughing and was backing away from the rifle pointed at him.

"Get rid of it, Carlos, or I swear I'll-"

"Dude, that is one cool gun," Alfred interrupted as all three heads swiveled to him. The leader put his rifle away and made an _ahem_ like noise.

"I suppose you are Alfred F. Jones," he finally said. "I am Vash Zwingli, leader of the 326th unit in the Memorian military. This is Carlos Machado-"

Vash gestured to him, who was lighting yet another cigarette.

"And Gupta Muhammad Hassen," Vash gestured to the silent man, who said nothing.

"Nice to meet you all!" Alfred smiled, which nobody returned. "So, what do we do here?"

"We follow whatever orders Headquarters give us-"

"Never, in short," Carlos commented grudgingly.

"-which is admittedly not often," Vash said, pointedly ignoring Carlos's comment, "Other than that, we just try to keep this place safe."

"I see."

The rest of his morning went by with Vash failing to get the unit to do military drills; even with him pulling the gun, nobody was willing to do the drills. In the end, Vash just let them all do what they wanted. It was quite pitiful really, but Alfred had already decided to bring fame to their unit, and moping around the base was going to lead him nowhere, so he ended up leaving and started to walk around Memoria looking for something to do.

Flying his plane was out of the question; he wasn't allowed to fly the plane without his leader's approval, and it was hard to imagine Vash giving him permission just so he could have fun. He _could_ look for a place to stay, but truth be told, he didn't really want to leave Arthur's place; there was too much bad blood between them, and the hero couldn't just leave it at that. Besides, he didn't have to pay taxes.

"Fish! Get your fish here!"

"A rare telescope! Made from gold, this beauty won't fail you yet!"

"Pot! Nice, fine pots! Does the pretty lady want a pot?"

Alfred chuckled. Without knowing it, he had walked into the heart of the Commercial District. Shops and stalls replaced the brick houses he had walked through earlier, though it was hard to even get near one because of all the people; this was the only place where the rich, poor, and middle-class could meet without being questioned, but only because everyone was too busy shopping to even care. It was especially busy today; apparently, a fresh new influx of merchant ships had arrived this morning.

Alfred walked over to the most quiet place he could find; Arthur's bookshop. Despite being smack-dab in the middle of the most busiest district, Arthur's bookshop always managed to attract the least customers in the whole area. Alfred guessed it was because Arthur sold books like _The Sky Knows No Limits_ even though barely anyone read novels anymore. At the moment, there was virtually nobody nearby since it was closed today, but that didn't stop Alfred from going to it.

The _Arcane_ was a quaint, but arguably beautiful shop. It was a square, red brick building lined with dark green wood. _Arcane_ was written in delicate, golden letters, over a strip of green wood above the door, which was located to the far-most right. A large window covered the area to the left of the door, showing the inside of the store, though it was too dark for Alfred to see anything inside. The bookshop didn't demand attention, it was just _there_.

Alfred leaned on the door and watched the Commercial District work its magic. He watched lazily as people came and go, all of which were carrying loaded bags. He watched as mothers haggled and their children wind through the thickets of people, most of them playing tag. He watched as vendors attempted to reel in customers by showing off some rare trinket or such. He watched as a particular vendor shout and looked around his shop, looking positively furious and-

Wait, that wasn't right. Alfred worked his way through the crowd to get closer, but everyone was gathering around the vendor. Frustrated, Alfred tapped a short, curly blond boy on the shoulder.

"Hey, what's happening?" the boy looked at him, obviously frightened, and opened his mouth. Before the words could come out, Alfred could hear the vendor shout from where he was.

"Thief! Thief! There's a thief! My telescope has been stolen!"

Shrieks, gasps, and angry shouting followed this. Alfred could barely hear himself think over the racket. Everything turned into chaos; everyone began to look through their stuff to see if _their_ stuff had been stolen, not noticing that their money and other things were falling from their bags as they checked their belongings. Every now and then, Alfred could see the quick flash of a hand, grabbing whatever had fallen, then disappear again in the thicket; this made his blood boil. As much as he wanted to catch the criminals, they disappeared too fast for him to track them. Plus, too many people stood between him and the thieves, so it was hard to see where the thieves had disappeared to.

Suddenly, Alfred felt something bump against him. He whirled to see a man run past him, shouldering everyone that got in his way. Most importantly, the man was clutching a golden, ornate telescope.

_The thief!_ Alfred thought. Instinctively, Alfred ran after him, bumping along people as he ran.

_Almost there!_ He thought as he followed the thief. It wasn't that hard to follow him; he stuck out like a sore thumb over the darkly-dressed civilians. The thief was wearing a fern green vest over a long-sleeved, cuffed, white cotton shirt. He also wore black silk pants and tan, leather shoes. He was a slender man that looked to be a little bit shorter than Alfred and didn't look like he exercised much, but that was obviously a lie, seeing how Alfred was running out of breath just following him.

Normally, Alfred would have thought that the thief was stupid for wearing such fancy clothes, but he was more focused on how the man looked like. Something about him seemed disturbingly familiar...

_Where have I seen him before?_ Alfred tried to remember the last time he's seen someone wear those clothes, but nothing came to mind. Alfred ran faster, following the short, messy blond hair of the thief.

_Messy, blond hair... _It hit him like a bullet.

"Arthur?" Alfred stopped to shout, but ended up being hit by a man who was running through the crowd with his wife and kids. Alfred fell on his bottom, stars dancing around his eyes and obscuring his vision.

But not before he saw the man turn around, familiar green eyes round with astonishment.


	3. Not Possible

**3rd chapter up!**

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><p>"<em>Trust nothing and no one, for everything continues to change."<em>

Alfred couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Arthur, a thief?

It was an outrageous thought.

Thieves didn't knit. Thieves didn't nag people about their posture. Thieves didn't spend their free time drinking tea and reading books. Most importantly, thieves didn't take in orphans and decide to take care of them.

But then again, maybe Arthur had changed in the six years that passed.

_No, _Alfred got up and dusted his backside. _I refuse to believe that Arthur could be a thief; it's like saying Francis isn't rich, or that Matthew's a chainsaw-killer, or-_ He took a deep breath and started to walk away from the chaotic crowd of people. _Calm down, Alfred. Maybe it wasn't Arthur you saw running away with the stolen item. That _was _a pretty hard fall; I mean, lots of people wear green, have messy blonde hair, have emerald green eyes, have a really slim physique, and- Okay, I'm losing myself here._

Alfred sighed and started to jog back to Arthur's house. _Look, you're over-thinking this whole thing. All you have to do is go back home and ask Arthur whether or not he was in the Commercial District today, and you'll get your answer._ He smiled; it was a pretty sensible plan.

_Who knows, maybe I was mistaken and that was just a person who _looked _like Arthur. Yeah! That could totally be what happened!_

So how come he couldn't shake the feeling that he was right?

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><p>Alfred sat on the other side of the rectangular table so that he was face-to-face with Arthur. The latter was home before Alfred, so Alfred didn't have time to raid Arthur's closet for the thief's clothes. Arthur had welcomed him back as if nothing had happened and promptly asked him if he would like some dinner. Alfred supposed that he should've been more wary lest Arthur had poisoned his food, but he was starving and he could've eaten trash for all he cared.<p>

Alfred watched him with upturned eyes so that he looked (or at least, he hoped that he looked) like his eyes were on his plate. He absent-mindedly spooned the food in his mouth, not even tasting what he was eating (although whether or not it was because he was distracted or because it was **Arthur's** cooking was debatable).

Meanwhile, Arthur was eating calmly, sipping his tea nonchalantly every now and then. He was wearing russet brown trousers and a striped, navy blue vest over a white cotton shirt; different clothes than the thief, but he could have easily changed his clothes since the robbery.

_It's like I believe he's the thief,_ Alfred thought, his fork moving idly over his burnt…something. _I mean, didn't I say before that that thief could have been anyone? Sure he looked an awful_ _lot _like _Arthur, but Memoria's a big city; there's bound to be _someone _who looks like him._

_So how come the thief reacted when I called him "Arthur"?_

"-fred."

_They could have the same name as well. 'Arthur' is a pretty common name…I think. Or maybe the thief was one of those people who react anytime someone calls a name._

"Al-"

_Yeah! That could be it! There's no way _Arthur _could be the thief- after all, he practically raised a hero! Plus, Arthur's too sissy to be a thief; thieves are like, ninjas who steal stuff, not bookworms who own book shops. There's no way that Arthur-_

"Alfred!"

Alfred snapped his head up and looked at Arthur, who had an agitated expression on his face. "Honestly Alfred, I've been calling your name five times already!"

"Sorry Arthur, I guess I'm a bit out of it today," Alfred forced a smile, hoping that Arthur would fall for the act.

Arthur's eyes softened. "You _did_ seem to be a bit flustered when you came back. Did you have a hard time in the military?"

"No, the military was fine. We didn't do much really, so I had a lot of free time."

Arthur sighed. "The military these days- you'd think that with the Nex around, they would actually _do_ something productive."

Alfred ignored Arthur's comment about the military; as much as he hated it, it was true. "Oh well, what can you do about it?" Alfred shrugged, his mind on the task at hand. "I mean, I'm _probably_ going to be the one who'll change all that, but there's only so much I can do on the first day, so I decided that with the time I had, I might as well take a quick stroll around Memoria to, y'know, check out the city I'd be protecting."

"Oh?" Arthur's voice implied that his interest was piqued, but nothing more. "But this isn't the first time you've been to Memoria- you already know all about it," Arthur's voice hinted to a bitter, yet sad, tone.

"It's been a long time," Alfred said quietly. He knew he was treading on dangerous waters- he had a feeling that Arthur was still a bit sore about that subject. "I wanted to see how much has changed."

"I see."

An awkward silence developed between them, the only sound being the _clinking_ of their spoons and forks. Finally, Alfred broke the silence.

"Everything's pretty much the same as before- even you haven't changed as much, Arthur." Alfred hoped with all his heart that this was true.

"I suppose," Arthur raised his tea cup to his lips, looking Alfred dead-on.

Alfred gulped. He always did hate it whenever Arthur looked at him in that piercing way of his; it made it impossible to lie to him when he was young. Now, it just made him more nervous. "Even the Commercial District hasn't changed much at all- it's still as busy as ever. In fact, it seems to be even busier than before."

"Does it really? It seems the same to me," Arthur shrugged. "But I suppose it's because I've lived here all my life- it's harder to notice change in something when you are so used to it."

"I guess so. Speaking of the Commercial District, there was a robbery there today you know," Alfred tried to put on a casual tone, hoping that Arthur couldn't hear his heart clamoring in his chest.

"How dreadful."

"It was. You should have seen it- it was chaos; people everywhere running away and looking through their stuff, not noticing that their stuff dropped and that others were _stealing_ it," Alfred stressed the word _stealing_, trying to see how Arthur would react.

Arthur grimaced. "Probably the street urchins; they're always stealing, the little buggers."

"They _do_ steal a lot, don't they? By the way, did you know that the item stolen was a golden telescope?" Alfred switched his gaze to his food, watching Arthur through his peripheral vision.

"Sounds priceless." No reaction; just a statement of the obvious.

"It probably is." Alfred decided to go at it another way. "So I was wondering, where were you today? I didn't see you this morning, or in the afternoon for that matter."

Arthur looked thoughtful, as if he was remembering something. "I was at the ports today; I prefer to receive my books personally, especially with the Nex running amok. I wanted to make sure that I was receiving my books from the right person. After all, you don't know who to trust these days."

_No kidding. _"I see," Alfred took a sip of the tea Arthur prepared for him. He made a sour face. "It tastes cold. I wish I had some coffee."

Arthur chuckled. "It's your fault for letting your tea go cold. Unfortunately, I don't have any coffee; would you like me to get some for you? I'm sure that there's at least one shop open at this hour that sells coffee."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Very well then," Arthur stood up and placed his plates in the sink. "I suggest you retire for the night a bit early this evening; you seem to be a bit tired."

"I'll go do that," Alfred answered, setting his tea cup on the table. He watched Arthur walk to the entrance hall and take his black overcoat from the coat rack.

"I might return late- I expect you'll be at bed by then," Arthur called over his shoulder while placing on his black overcoat.

"I'm not a child anymore Arthur," Alfred replied evenly, looking Arthur in the eye.

Arthur paused. "I still expect you to be asleep when I get back. Good night Alfred. Pleasant dreams." he took out white, silk gloves from his pocket and put them on. He looked at Alfred and opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it the next second and left.

Alfred looked at the grandfather clock in the corner. After waiting a while, he put on his aviator's jacket and ran out the door.

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><p>Alfred saw Arthur round a corner and inwardly groaned. He'd been following Arthur for who knows how long, and Arthur didn't seem to be going anywhere. It was like he was trying to throw someone off or something.<p>

_He doesn't know that I'm following him, right?_ Alfred rounded the corner as well, still staying a few feet away from Arthur. _No way; I've been too careful._ He'd seen how street urchins follow their prey; they would hide behind gas lights and houses, making sure that they were a good ways away from their target. As much as Alfred hated stooping so low that he would imitate their style to follow his former caretaker, he had to admit that the method was effective…for the most part.

Arthur turned another corner, and Alfred grudgingly followed. He instinctively knew that they were roughly in what most people called the "Slums". Although the slums looked like any other part of Memoria, even tourists could tell when they entered this destitute area; the place set off a vibe that meant it was bad business. Street urchins, orphans, beggars, and all kinds of bankrupt people lived there; it was one of those tell-tale signs that you were in the Slums. The Slums also made an exceptional hiding spot; twisting alleys, crowded streets, and fights on every corner.

So naturally, it was where most of the city's thieves were at.

_How fitting; a thief in a place of thieves._

_Don't think like that! This is Arthur, remember? He'd never stoop so low._

_Or would he?_

Alfred shook his head; all these thoughts were too distracting. He had a job to do, and he was going to do it. Ignoring every foreboding bone in his body, Alfred doggedly followed Arthur. Luckily for him, Arthur only went through a small portion of the Slums; after a few corners, some alleys, and the occasional street, they ended up in what were probably the end of the Commercial District and the start of the Rural District.

Alfred outwardly sighed when he saw the beginnings of shops and green fields, and then clamped his mouth. He froze when he saw Arthur pause and looked around; one look behind him, and Alfred would be busted. He held his breath and tensed his body, waiting for Arthur to turn around and catch him.

_Turn the other way, turn the other way, turn the other way-!_

He visibly relaxed when Arthur continued to go his way. Guess he was in the clear after all.

* * *

><p>Alfred was shivering by the time Arthur reached his destination, the <em>La Tomate <em>Inn, a simple inn near the Rural District. The inn was of a fairly decent size, with low ceilings and elegant arching windows. The words _La Tomate_ was written on a sign that hung on the building's right side, right next to the building's double-doors. It was hard to tell at night, but the inn was painted a healthy color so that the wood resembled redwood. Alfred saw Arthur enter the inn and followed suit, although Alfred failed to see the reason why Arthur decided to go to an inn when he had his own house.

"Hey, let go of that! That's my pasta!"

"No way! **I** ordered the pasta! **You** ordered the churros!"

"Ve~ can you please stop fighting? You are disturbing the other-"

"I SAID LET GO! THAT'S **MY **PASTA!"

"Please sir, you are disturbing the gue-"

"AND I TOLD YOU THAT THAT'S **MY** PASTA!"

"'OY! DIDN'T YOU HEAR HIM? JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!"

"Lovino! Watch your language! We act nice around the guests, si?"

_Whoa, _Alfred did a double-take. _This place is huge._

It was hard to tell that it was an inn just by looking in the inside; it looked and acted more like a bar than an inn. The room looked too wide to even fit in the inn and was the same redwood-color as the outside. Wide, circular tables that could seat six were spread everywhere. A broad countertop was found at the back, with two small doors leading into the kitchen. There was a staircase at the back of the room, most likely leading into the guest rooms. Even at this time, there were people still awake; some were drinking beer, others were eating exquisite looking dishes. Everyone, however, was making so much noise that Alfred wondered how the neighboring houses didn't complain.

_I wonder what Arthur's doing here…As far as I know, he likes _quiet _places. Maybe he really _is _buying coffee._ Alfred looked around for him. _On second thought, scratch that first thought,_ he thought as he spotted Arthur enter a room at the very back. Alfred followed him…Only to be pushed face-first into a wall with his hands held behind his back.

"Do you really think that I'd be daft enough to let you follow me this far, Alfred?" a familiar voice growled into his ear.

_I'm screwed._ "How'd you know I was following you?"

"Only an idiot wouldn't notice, especially after you tried to interrogate me earlier. By the way, you need to work on your tracking skills- a two year old can do better."

"You insult me, Arthur; you know I'm better than most two year olds," Alfred tried to buy some time as he looked for a way out. How can you escape when you're pinned to the wall by someone stronger than you? (which was surprising, since Arthur isn't exactly the "exercise" type, but then again, Alfred was tired and starving; a two year old could pin him down at the moment.)

"Why are you here, Alfred?" Arthur ignored what Alfred had said and pushed him harder into the wall.

"Didn't you say so yourself? I followed you Arthur- you were acting really shady today, and I want to know why."

"What I do has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me! Why do you think I followed you in the first place? I don't exactly follow people for fun, y'know."

"You shouldn't have followed me Alfred," Arthur's voice dropped low, chilling Alfred to the bone. He gulped.

"Well, I did. Just tell me why you're doing all this, Arthur- this isn't like you. The Arthur I knew didn't steal. He most certainly didn't threaten me."

"I already told you Alfred; you don't know who to trust these days. Especially since," Alfred felt something cold on the side of his head. "I don't take kindly to people who intervene in my affairs."

* * *

><p><strong>Will Alfred survive? Who are the Nex Arthur mentioned in the beginning of the story? Most importantly, what is Arthur doing and why is our beloved gentleman acting so OOC? All this and more will be answered in the next update- SHOT, sorry I was just so tempted to do this, especially since I had an announcer's voice in mind XD<strong>

**Anyways, I hope you liked this new addition~ Sadly, I'm one of those people that react whenever a person calls out a name (I don't know why, I just do). By the way, if I messed up in the Spanish, please correct me (same goes for the Latin and the British)!**


	4. I Need an Explanation!

**4th chapter (I sometimes think I upload too soon. Oh well, I upload when I'm inspired, which is a lot recently)! Will the questions from last chapter be answered? MAYBE. We'll find out in this edition of- SHOT, okay, this'll probably be the end of my announcer's voice XD. Anyways, enjoy~**

* * *

><p>"<em>Questions are asked to be answered, although the answer depends on the person."<em>

"Careful Kirkland, I don't want blood on my floor; _mi querido*_ will have a hard time cleaning it up, and he isn't exactly the best when it comes to cleaning."

Alfred felt the grip on his hands let go and the cold pressure on the side of his head disappear. He slumped to the floor, rubbing his wrists, and looked up to see Arthur face a curly-haired brunette standing at the door, the gun he pointed to Alfred's head at his side. "Sod off Carriedo; it's none of your business what I do to this brat," he heard Arthur hiss to the unknown man.

Alfred saw the other man shrug. "I don't care what you do to him as long as you don't dirty my floor," the man spoke with a song-like Bovisian accent. He was wearing plain white clothes with an apron over it, making his lightly tanned skin stand out more. His green eyes danced with amusement. "But then again, we all know that gun isn't loaded, so why should I bother?"

The gun wasn't loaded?

Alfred sighed in relief, although it was short-lived; he still didn't know what Arthur was doing, so who knew what else Arthur had in store for him?

Meanwhile, Arthur made a _tch_ noise and let the gun drop to the floor. "Bloody hell Antonio, you just couldn't resist, couldn't you?"

Antonio laughed. "Ah well, if I hadn't told him, he would've soiled my floor," Alfred felt the blood rise to his face; he wasn't _that _scared of Arthur. "By the way, about that telescope…"

"What about it?" Alfred could hear the sudden interest in Arthur's voice. "What did you find out?"

"Nothing. It's just an ordinary telescope. Turns out that merchant was lying about it being able to sense magic fifty feet away. Guess the Nex were just getting their hopes up- not the first time they've done so," Antonio sighed. "However… the merchant wasn't lying when he said that it was made from real gold; are you sure we can't kee-?"

"_No,_" Arthur's voice was forceful. "We're not bloody thieves, Antonio, and that thing is useless to us now. We're returning it in the morning."

Antonio sighed again. "I had a feeling you would say that…Ah, well, it was good while it lasted…"

"Wait a minute," both men turned to Alfred as if they just remembered that he existed. "So you really did steal it?" Alfred couldn't believe what he was hearing; Arthur really WAS the thief. "And now you're RETURNING it? What's going on, Arthur?" Alfred didn't remember feeling more confused in his life; what kind of thief _returns_ what they _stole_?

"Well I suppose it's a long story…" Antonio looked thoughtful. Arthur glared at him.

"Don't you dare tell him anything else, Carriedo. You already blew my bluff with the gun; I don't need you ruining anything else."

"If you don't want me to tell him, then tell him yourself, Kirkland. It's that simple, _si*?_"

"Yeah, Arthur, all I'm asking is for an explanation. It's as simple as _that_," Alfred snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Arthur shook his head. "As much as I wish it was, it isn't that simple; you're better off not knowing."

"Not knowing what?" Alfred asked innocently.

Arthur laughed. "You won't get it out of me that easily, lad, and I suggest you stop trying."

"Why won't you tell me?" Alfred felt like he was a little kid again, having to plead like this. It was degrading, and he hated every second of it. "I'm pretty sure that I deserve an explanation after everything that's happened today."

"The boy has a point, you know," Antonio pointed out. "You can't keep him out of this, Arthur; after all, he lives with you. He'll figure it out sooner or later, whether you like it or not."

"Yeah! I'm with him!"

"You're not helping Antonio," Arthur looked ready to strangle the older man. He turned back to Alfred. "Look Alfred, this is none of your business; you shouldn't even be here in the first place."

"Well, if you just _told_ me what happened, I wouldn't have had to follow you!" This was so embarrassing, acting like a child, but Alfred was desperate.

"There's a _reason_, I haven't told you yet, Alfred. Can you just do me a favor and go home?" His voice sounded harsh, as if he was scolding a kid who had interrupted an important meeting. "Then we can forget about this whole ordeal and leave it all behind us, all right love?" His voice suddenly took a calmer tone, but it failed to calm Alfred down. Not in the slightest.

"Don't treat me like a child, Arthur!" Maybe his attitude was a bit hypocritical at the moment, but he was _very_ desperate. "Why can't you just tell me already? It's like you don't trust me or something!"

Arthur looked at him with a mixture of emotions, as if he really was contemplating on whether or not he should tell him. "I _do_ trust you, Alfred; I just don't want you mixed up in this mess. I'm only doing this in your best interest," Arthur sounded tired. "I'm only trying to protect you, can't you see that?"

"Protect me from _what?"_ Alfred was tired of this; he wanted answers, and he wanted them now. "I'm tired of you _always_ treating me like a child! I'm not your 'little brother' anymore, Arthur! I'm your equa-"

"_Enough!_"Alfred was speechless at Arthur's interruption and the force behind it. He had a feeling that he went too far. "This is none of your business, Alfred! I still haven't forgiven you for following me, so you have no right to talk!" Arthur turned livid, although Alfred could see a rising sense of panic hidden in his emerald green eyes. He also knew that Arthur didn't forgive him for another reason, one that he really shouldn't have brought up if he wanted to win this argument.

"Well, seeing as how I've just seen my _former-_" Arthur flinched at the word, but Alfred went on. "-caretaker _steal_ an item and then get _threatened_ by the _same_ caretaker in the _same day_, I _definitely_ don't deserve an explanation for all this!" Alfred stood up and loomed over Arthur.

"And I told you, THIS. IS. NONE. OF. YOUR. BLOODY. _BUSINESS!_" Even though Arthur sounded more enraged than Alfred could remember, he still couldn't ignore the panic in his eyes; it was as if Arthur was _begging_ him to stay out of this.

_Why? What is keeping Arthur from telling him? _Alfred felt dizzy; everything was so confusing, and he was so tired…

Arthur took in deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm himself. "Alfred, I'll explain it to you once this whole thing blows over, but now is not the time for this!"

"When is it then? Never?" Alfred demanded, breaking out of his dizzy trance. Arthur looked stunned, but otherwise didn't answer. Alfred let out a derisive laugh. "I thought so. You just can't trust me, can you Arthur?" His words ended up coming out bitterer than he expected, but he didn't care.

"I-" Alfred glared at him, stopping him in his tracks. "I just want to protect you, that's all," he sounded so desolate that Alfred felt like backing off. Almost.

"From _what?_ I can handle myself Arthur; I don't _need_ your protection. _What are you hiding from me?" _Alfred sounded crazy, even to himself.

Arthur didn't answer him. He just stared at him with a mixture of hurt and shock. They continued to stand there in that strained silence, Alfred a step forward with his hands clenched at his sides and Arthur stepping back, his head down. Both seemed to have lost the energy to argue more, but both had enough to not back down. Finally, Antonio cleared the silence.

He cleared his throat and both of them looked at him. "If you'll excuse me," Antonio opened the door and started to walk out. "I'll leave you two at your lover's spat-"

"DON'T CALL IT A LOVER'S SPAT!" they both yelled at the same time, then turning to each other in surprise. Antonio raised his arms in defeat, apparently nonplussed.

"Call it what you will, I'm still leaving. Although…" Antonio looked pointedly at Arthur. "It wouldn't hurt to tell him. After all, he might be helpful to us. And I don't think you have much of a choice here, _mi amigo*" _With that said, Antonio closed the door, leaving the two of them in the room in an awkward silence.

Arthur chuckled dryly. "I hate it when he's right," he sighed and sat down next to his gun.

"You're going to tell me?" Alfred asked, the crazed, desperate, and angry tone gone. He was honestly surprised; after their fight, he was more than sure that Arthur would have refused. Nevertheless, he was relieved that Arthur had decided to tell him.

"I might as well. I don't have much of a choice in the first place, seeing as how you're so desperate for answers," Arthur sounded exhausted. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Why'd you steal a telescope?" Alfred asked immediately, sitting down in front of him.

Arthur smiled. "I should have figured you would have asked that first. Well then, let me make things easier; do you know of the Nex?"

"Of course I do!" He'd be crazy if he _didn't_ know about the Nex. "They're that group of sky pirates that started six years ago and go around pillaging towns and kidnapping children, right?"

"Right," Arthur nodded.

"What does a telescope have to do with the Nex?"

"A…" Arthur paused, furrowing his eyebrows. "Contact of mine informed me that the Nex was eying it, believing that it could sense magic. They said that the Nex would go undercover into Memoria and try to steal it. We couldn't have that happening, so we stole it instead."

"Okay…" Alfred felt his heart lighten at what Arthur had told him. Even though he was right that Arthur was the thief, he at least had a good reason for it. "But what'd you do that for? I thought messing with the Nex was the military's job?"

"Let's just say that we have a…what was that saying? Ah yes, a 'score to settle' with them. Anyways, for the past six years, we've been chasing them down and trying to stop them. As for the military…" Arthur scowled. "They're about as successful in 'messing' with the Nex as Antonio is with keeping his mouth shut."

"What makes you think that?" Alfred challenged, a bit insulted that Arthur was berating the people he was affiliated with.

"Well," Arthur's face darkened. "We had a run-in once with the military in the early days of the Nex. Caught us in the middle of a battle, they did. Long story short, the military assumed that since we were with them, we were _with_ them," he laughed bitterly. "They tried to arrest us then. We narrowly made it out with our lives," his face contorted into a murderous expression. "Blasted fools, we were _this_ close to capturing the Nex. If they hadn't interfered, they wouldn't have escaped and this whole thing might've already ended."

"So let me get this straight," Alfred leaned back and started to count in his hands. "You're after the bad guys," he counted one.

"Yes."

"The bad guys are after you." Two fingers.

"Yes."

"But the good guys are also after you." Three.

"Yes."

"That's not complicated at all!" Alfred exclaimed, throwing his hands up and falling into the ground.

"When you put it that way, yes, it's rather simple," Arthur shrugged nonchalantly. "Any more questions?"

Alfred felt as if a great weight was off his shoulders. His Arthur was still the same as ever. "Thank goodness…" he murmured to himself. Of course, he had a feeling that Arthur was hiding something from him (he _did_ say that things weren't as simple as that), but he already pushed his luck, he wasn't going to push it again; it was enough of a miracle that Arthur had trusted him enough to tell him this much. He sat back up.

"Just one…What do you mean by 'we'? Does this mean that you're in a group?"

"Well, yes…" Arthur looked hesitant.

"How many people are in it?"

"You've met Antonio already, so that's one down. Two down if you count me. Other than us two, not much more. Why do you ask?" Alfred could hear the wariness in Arthur's voice.

"'Cause I want to join you," Alfred looked Arthur in the eye. "This is arguably one of the coolest things you've done, and I want in; I mean, you're fighting bad guys undercover! Stuff like this only happens in movies, and Antonio did say that you needed a hero."

"He never said that," Arthur met his gaze evenly. "He said that you might be helpful."

"Exactly. So, will you?"

"Absolutely not," Arthur spoke as if the answer was already final.

"But-"

"There's not _but's_ about this. The answer is no," Arthur stood up and dusted his backside. "This isn't child's play, Alfred, people could get hurt," Arthur bent down to retrieve his gun. "And you're the one person I can't risk in this battle," his voice was so quiet that Alfred couldn't tell if he actually said it out loud.

_I'm the what?_ Before he could question Arthur on it, he heard Arthur clear his throat as he stood back up. "That's enough questions for today. I suggest you go to bed; you've been awake for far too long. I'll go tell Antonio to prepare you a room." He started to walk to the door.

"You don't need to do tha-"

"Yes Alfred, I do." They both stared at each other.

"Fine, do what you want," Alfred said sighing in defeat, knowing that Arthur wouldn't take no for an answer. Arthur grinned.

"That's more like it. Now then, stay here and wait until I get back with the key to your room."

"'Kay," Alfred watched him leave. He only held himself up for a few seconds before he blacked out of fatigue.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor dear, I'd be exhausted too if I had the same day as Alfred; I mean, he went to the military (and did nothing), walked around for who-knows-how-long, chased a thief through a crowd, ranjogged back home, failed to interrogate Arthur, follow Arthur in the night, gets threatened by Arthur, gets into an argument with Arthur, and gets rejected by Arthur when he wants to help him, with no burgers to fuel him to boot.**

**Anyways, boring chapter is boring chapter. If you really think that the whole Nex thing would be that simple, it is (kinda. No, not really. Depends really on how you look at it). Naturally, though, there are questions here unanswered that will be answered later :3**

Mi querido (Spanish) – My dear

Si (Spanish) - Yes

Mi amigo (Spanish) – My friend


	5. Well I Need a Plan

**4th chapter up! To compensate for the lack of important characters, new characters are going to appear!**

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><p>"<em>Nobody ever said life was fair."<em>

_ "Artie! Aaaarrrttiiieee~ what are you doing staring at the window?"_

_ Alfred watched as his "big brother" turn to him. Arthur had been sitting in a chair, head in his hands, staring blankly out the window. He was wearing a single-breasted dark brown vest over a long-sleeved cotton shirt. One leg was on top of the other, creasing his normally pristine tan trousers. His golden hair shone in the strong sunlight and his emerald eyes suddenly sharpened as he turned to Alfred._

"…'Oi…Wake up…"

_ "How many times have I told you to just call me 'Arthur'?" Arthur smiled and patted Alfred's head gently. Alfred laughed._

_ "Arthur's too long to say! 'Artie' is much, much better!"_

"Don't wanna wake up…"

_ Arthur chuckled and ruffled the 13-year-old's hair affectionately. "Have it your way then. What are you doing here, Alfred? I thought you were supposed to be studying."_

_ "I WAS studying. I just got tired of it."_

_ "What am I going to do with you?" Arthur laughed, although Alfred could tell that he was still distracted by the way he avoided his eyes._

"You have to, dammit…"

_ "Are you okay, Arthur?" Alfred asked, abandoning all laughter for worry. "You don't look okay…"_

_ "I'm fine, Alfred. It's just…" Arthur trailed off, his eyes fogging back into his earlier trance. "Let's just say that the recent news does not bode well with me."_

Alfred turned on his side, not really wanting to get out of bed. "Later Arthur…Wake me up later…"

_"Are you talking about the rumors about that sky pirate group? You don't need to worry about them! I'll grow up to be the best aviator in the military and then I'll beat up those losers for you!"_

"…ot Arthur…"

_Arthur froze. He looked at Alfred with such a deep sense of panic that his smile faded. "Arthur…?"_

_ "What did you say?"_

"Huh…? What did you say…?"

_"I-I said that I wanted to be an avia-"_

_ "Don't! Promise me, Alfred; promise me that you won't become an aviator!"_

"I SAID I'M NOT ARTHUR! _Mio dio*_ what makes you think I'm anything like that brows bastard? We're nothing alike!"

Alfred grumbled at the loud noise, his dream fading away. _More like a memory…_ Alfred grimaced, remembering the events of what happened that day. It was the time Alfred had first told Arthur that he wanted to be an aviator. It was also the first time Arthur had visibly voiced his disapproval of Alfred becoming an aviator, and it certainly wasn't his last. "I don't care who you are….Go away…."

"Too bad, I'm not. By the way, Arthur told me to wake you up. He said that he has something to tell you."

"Can't he tell me later…?"

"He also said that there were burgers waiting for you if you woke up."

"I'm up!" Alfred got up as fast as he could, all sleepiness suddenly gone. He looked around to see that he wasn't in his room in Arthur's house; instead, he was in a small, wooden room. The room only had a chest, a closet, and the bed Alfred was on. To his right was a large window, the sun shining brightly through it, making Alfred's eyes hurt. "Where am I?"

"You're in a room in the _La Tomate _Inn, idiot," Alfred turned to his left to see an olive skinned man a few years older than him. He had dark brown hair and a long, gravity-defying curl to his right. He looked at Alfred with irritated olive green eyes, his arms crossed over his waiter outfit. "Toni doesn't pay me enough to clean this place up, let alone babysit idiots like you. And I thought you were going to meet Arthur?"

"I am, I am," Alfred got out of bed. He looked down to see that he was still wearing his clothes from yesterday. "How'd I get up here?"

"Hell if I know," the man spoke with a clear Esculentan accent. "Can you just go down already? I have to clean this place for the next guest, and you're holding me up."

"Sure. One problem: I don't know where Arthur is."

The man sighed in exasperation. "Follow me."

* * *

><p>Arthur continued to pace in front of the counter-top in the lobby, his brows furrowed in agitation. He had sent Antonio and Feliciano earlier to return the telescope and to do it unnoticed, but that wasn't what was worrying him.<p>

_Arthur held his book under the lamp light as the sky turned darker. Even though he was reading one of his favorite books (it was about some king from a place called "Camelot"), he really couldn't concentrate on it. His mother should have been back by now; never in his 11-year old life had his mother been late to get home before, even when her work demanded it._

I hope she's okay…_He thought, chewing on his pencil thoughtfully. Just then, the doorbell rang._

_I shouldn't have told him; I shouldn't have told him; I shouldn't have told him…_ He repeated this over and over until it became his mantra. Sure he had given Alfred the loosest summary of what he was doing, but he had no doubt in his mind that Alfred would figure everything out eventually. Alfred may not be the sharpest tool in the shed at times, but once he decides to stick his head into someone's business, it was hard to shake him off. _And he wants to join me too…_

_"Dad?" Arthur was shocked to see his father; he could only remember him visiting once or twice before, and he never stayed that long. "What are you doing here? Where's Mom?"_

That was the other thing Arthur had no doubt about either; whether he liked it or not, Alfred was going to join them.

_"What do you mean she's not coming back? WHERE'S MOM?"_

He could only hope that he could put it off long enough before-

"Yo Artie! Where are those burgers you promised me?"

Arthur stopped pacing, his thoughts broken. He turned to see Alfred and Lovino at the base of the staircase, Lovino looking peeved and Alfred looking as if he could take on the world.

_How in the world does he do that? Coming here, waltzing in as if nothing happened… Happened when he asked to stay at my place too…_ Arthur sighed, wondering how Alfred could stay upbeat despite what happened yesterday. There were times when Alfred confused him too much, even when he was young. He looked at the man next to Alfred. "Thank you, Lovino, for getting this git out of bed for me, although how you did it is beyond me."

Lovino snorted, his head held high. "Please, Toni is a deeper sleeper than him; this was a piece of cake," he turned back to the stairs. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going back up; Toni'll have my hide if I slack off," he left without a word.

"So…" Alfred didn't seem to notice Lovino's exit. "Where are those burgers?"

Arthur gestured to the counter-top, which held plates of burgers. "I'm not sure if you still like burgers, so if you want something else, I'll just cook something up for you."

"I'm good; I still love burgers," Alfred said quickly as he sat down. He quickly grabbed a burger and stuffed it in his mouth. "Sho whaf dij juu nid to terr mii?

Arthur sat down next to him, frowning at the lad's lack of manners. "Don't talk with your mouth full Alfred; I taught you better than that."

Alfred gulped loudly, downing down a glass of water. "So what did you need to tell me?"

"Well, I was thinking…" Arthur trailed off, not sure how to phrase it to him.

"Yeah…?" It was hard to ignore the note of hope in Alfred's voice. Arthur felt a bit bad shooting down that hope, but not much.

"I shouldn't have told you any of that stuff yesterday," Arthur said flat-out. "It was none of your business in the first place, and it seems to have given you the hope that you can join us."

"_WHAT?_" Alfred let go of the burger he had just picked up. "That is NOT cool; you can't go back on what you said! Plus, you can't exactly make me _forget_ what you said yesterday."

"Try me." Arthur challenged, opening his left hand.

Alfred snickered. "C'mon, it's not like you have _magic_ or anything."

"I really don't think you want to test my patie-"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both men turned around to see a lady standing at the doorway. She had long, dark brown hair with an orange flower on her right ear. She was wearing a light pink, long-sleeved dress that was closely fitted to the waist. She wore a white, high-necked collar with a pink ribbon around it. Her sleeves were long and puffed out like her trumpet-shaped skirt that flared right before the knee. Her green eyes looked faintly amused as she looked at them.

"What? You two haven't seen a girl before?" Though still dainty sounding, the tough Bellatorian accent was still evident.

Arthur got off the chair and bowed. "It's nice to see you again Elizabeta. How were your travels?"

Arthur could hear Alfred choke slightly behind him. "You know Elizabeta Hedervary? She's, like, that super rich chick, right?"

Arthur looked back and shot Alfred a glare. Honestly, how many of his manners has he forgotten in the six years that passed?

Elizabeta grinned before curtsying. "And you Arthur. They were fine; thank you for asking," she stated, ignoring Alfred's comment.

Arthur stood back up. "What are you doing here? You usually don't come back so early in the year."

"Troubled times, Arthur, troubled times," Elizabeta stood back up as well, her face suddenly serious. "I told Antonio and Feli about it earlier at the Commercial District. Oh, and about the Commercial District…" Elizabeta was suddenly uncomfortable.

"What about them? They didn't get caught, did they?" Arthur asked, to which Elizabeta answered with a shake of her head.

"No, nothing of the sort, if you're talking about the telescope," Elizabeta raised a hand before Arthur could speak. "Don't worry; Antonio told me about the telescope. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one he told."

"What do you mean by tha-?"

"KESESESE, SO THIS IS THE PLACE?"

A silver-haired albino with unnaturally red eyes appeared next to Elizabeta. He was wearing a deep blue military uniform with a sheathed sword on his left side. He was grinning broadly as he surveyed the room. "This place is totally un-awesome. Unless, of course, you guys sell beer, then that makes this place ALMOST as awesome as me."

"Who are you?" Alfred asked, his hand on another burger.

"I AM THE AWESOME-" Elizabeta smacked his face with her hand, effectively shutting him up.

"I sincerely apologize for this _idiot,_ Arthur," Elizabeta looked ready to take the man's sword and run him over with it. "This is Gilbert Beilschmidt from the Nievan city of Vires. I've known him since childhood, and he's a jerk. He followed me and overheard me and Antonio talking and got Antonio to tell him everything, down to our whole group."

Gilbert chortled. "I couldn't believe that Lizzy got a date with someone other than that stupid aristocrat, so I followed her. Although it turned out to not be a date," he grinned, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me; the awesome me isn't like that," he grinned even broader. "Of course, I could spill your lame secret if you don't let me join you guys."

Arthur felt a flash of anger at the threat. He took a deep breath and looked at Elizabeta. "Seeing as how you two are affiliated, is he useful?"

Elizabeta's face was grim. "I hate to say it, but he's almost as good as me with a sword. ALMOST," she glared at Gilbert. "I can still whip your sorry little behind if I wanted to."

"Yeah right! I'm not in the Nievan military for nothing," Gilbert smirked. "Of course, I'm in vacation, so I'm TECHNICALLY not part of the military. So," he turned to Arthur. "Am I in?"

"You'll do."

"Hey! What about m-?" Arthur glared again at Alfred, who clamped his mouth shut.

"That's awesome then!" Gilbert exclaimed. He turned to Alfred snickered at him, setting Arthur's blood on fire. "But that means you're going to let my brother in too, right? 'Cause it would be un-awesome if you didn't."

"Your bro-?"

A man taller than Gilbert appeared in the doorway with Antonio and Feliciano. He was a muscled man wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a brown double-breasted vest, and tan trousers tucked into black boots. His blond hair was slicked back to reveal serious light blue eyes. He looked awkward as Feliciano (who looked exactly like his brother except being shorter, his curl being on the left side of his head, and having brown eyes) was chatting happily with him.

Arthur looked at Antonio. "Just how careless were you Carriedo?"

He looked sheepish. "I swear, Arthur, I made sure that we were away from crowds and that we were in a place where nobody could hear us. Unfortunately, these two followed us and blackmailed me in telling them about the whole thing. Don't worry though!" he added quickly. "They seem pretty reliable; I don't think you need to worry about them spilling the beans, especially Ludwig here. He comes from Virtus, and everyone knows that you can trust Virtians!" Antonio smiled weakly, as if he was hoping Arthur would forgive him.

Arthur sighed. There were times when he believed that he was surrounded by idiots. This was one of them. "Fine; he's in too."

Alfred gaped as Arthur let two complete strangers join him. "Dude, that is NOT fair. You've known me longer than them; how come they're in and I'm not?"

"Alfred, now is not the time for this," Arthur scowled at the younger man. Alfred looked back at him with a look of defiance and said nothing.

Elizabeta cleared her throat and Arthur looked back at her. "I hate to interrupt, but there's something I need to tell you."

"I'm sorry Elizabeta, what did you need to say?"

"Well, I'll be frank," Elizabeta seated herself in one of the seats and placed her head on both hands, looking Arthur in the eye. "The Nex attacked a city in Nievus."

"They did _what?_" Arthur felt his blood run cold. _This can't be happening! They've been looking in Memoria for the past six years! Why would they suddenly attack the bordering continent? Unless…_ "Which city? And how come I haven't heard about it yet?"

"It wasn't a city per se, but a very small village. It happened some days ago, and the attack wasn't that big in the first place, so it didn't seem to faze many people," Elizabeta looked perplexed. "What's the matter, Arthur? The Nex attacks cities all the time; a change in destination means nothing."

"You don't understand; there's-" Arthur stopped himself short. "It's just startling news that the Nex attacked a city in Nievus. They usually aim for cities in Memoria."

Elizabeta didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the matter further. On the other hand, Arthur could feel Alfred's gaze on him. He had a feeling that Alfred would ask him about it later. "That's not the worst of the news Arthur; it seems that the attack affected the kings, so a meeting was scheduled here in Memoria to discuss the situation with the Nex and all the monarchs are taking part."

"The Nievan king is coming?" Gilbert's voice startled them all, although what surprised them the most was how quiet it was; he had struck Arthur as the type that was never quiet. "When are they coming?"

"Soon, that's all I know," Elizabeta looked troubled at his sudden reserved nature, but didn't question Gilbert's resulting silence. She looked away from him. "This is bad; all four monarchs in one place make for an easy target."

"Four monarchs?" Alfred sounded confused. "I thought there were only three?"

"Aeturnus Eturnus split up recently," everyone turned to Ludwig. He looked at all of them evenly, apparently unfazed by the sudden attention. "The Aeturnus Eturnus kingdom split up to form the Aetian kingdom and the Etan kingdom; Aeturnus is still ruled by the same king, but it seems that Eturnus is ruled by a new king. Either way, I agree with Elizabeta; the Nex could easily attack all four monarchs if they gather in one place."

"What are we going to do, Captain?" Antonio asked Arthur. "The Nex are surely going to attack; _I_ would attack if I were given the chance to attack the most powerful people in the world at the same time, so there's a high chance that the Nex will take this chance and attack them."

"Hmm…" Arthur sat down next to Alfred, his head propped on his hand. "This is bad...Not only are we unprepared, but we are also outnumbered…Not to mention, we have the bloody military to look after…"

"Not quite," Arthur looked up at Feliciano. "The military will probably tighten security by a lot, so the place will be teeming with soldiers and stuff, all of them looking for the Nex; as long as we don't do anything to provoke them, they'll be focusing on the Nex!" Everyone looked at Feliciano, and his smile wavered. "Ve~ did I say something wrong?"

"No, you did nothing of the sort," Arthur assured him. He looked back at the others. "So now that we have that sorted out, I need a plan to get near the monarchs. There's something that I need to confirm, and the only way to do that is by going near the monarchs."

"Arthur, are you out of your mind?" Elizabeta exclaimed. "I may have said that they were easy pickings, but I didn't say that they were coming defenseless! How do you plan on getting past their bodyguards? The monarchs are probably going to have the best as their bodyguards!"

"That's what I'm worried about," Arthur stated. No one knew how to reply, so silence unfolded.

"Well then," Antonio looked at Elizabeta. "I suppose you must be tired after your long journey. Would you like a room? It's free of charge, so you don't need to worry about paying."

"Thank you Antonio," Elizabeta got up briskly. "Are you sure that you don't need payment? I do have money to burn."

"No, no, it's my pleasure. You already do so much for us," Antonio looked at the two brothers. "Would you two like to stay here as well? This is an inn; I have rooms to spare."

"That would be nice," Ludwig answered, while Gilbert said nothing. He seemed to be completely lost in thought.

"Very well then. Feli, go get your brother and tell him that we have new guests. Now if you'll follow me…" All three hastily followed Antonio and Feliciano up the stairs, leaving Arthur with Alfred. Arthur turned to his former charge.

"Are you okay? You didn't say much," he asked, taking notice that Alfred didn't eat much either.

"I'm fine Arthur," Alfred turned to look at him. "How come you were so worked up when Elizabeta said that the Nex attacked a city in Nievus? And tell me the truth," he added after Arthur opened his mouth. "I think I know you enough to tell that you were going to tell me the same thing you said to Elizabeta."

_Damn._ Arthur wasn't sure what to say. Alfred had been right, of course, so he was left with two choices; tell him the truth, or lie to him. He decided to take a third option. "Have it your way; my little brother, Peter, he stays in Nievus with a friend of my…'friend'," Arthur wasn't really sure how to describe his "friend"; he hated his guts, but he did rely on him from time to time. "I was worried that the city they attacked was the city he was staying in."

"You have a little brother?" Alfred looked surprised. Arthur had been sure to never mention his little brother around him, so it was natural that he didn't know about him. "As in, an actual brother?"

"And three older ones," Arthur hadn't mentioned them either, but that was for a whole different reason; he had never met them, so he didn't care much about them. However, Peter was a whole different case…

"How come your little brother is in Nievus instead of Memoria?" Alfred sounded puzzled, as if trying to figure out why Arthur, who had taken them in, wasn't taking care of his own brother. "And how come you never told me you had a little brother?"

"You didn't really need to know about him," Arthur waved the topic off, hoping that Alfred would let it go. "As for the reason why he's in Nievus, he's safer there than here."

"How in the world is Nievus safer than Memoria? That place is crazy!"

"But it's far away from the Nex," Arthur said quietly. "I never dreamed that the Nex would attack there; I thought that they would keep on focusing on Memoria…"

Alfred didn't question him further, a thoughtful look on his face. "So you need a plan?"

"Excuse me?" Arthur was taken aback by the sudden question.

"You said you needed a plan to get near the monarchs," Alfred clarified.

"I do," Arthur wasn't sure where Alfred was taking this.

"Good," Alfred drank down another cup of water. "Because I think that I have a way to get you close to the monarchs."

* * *

><p><strong>You'll be getting bits and pieces of Arthur and Alfred's pasts as the story goes on, so expect more spontaneous remembering. By the way, I have no name for Arthur's group (or at least, one that's good) so I apologize when I say "joining himthem [Arthur]" when I actually mean joining his group. Also, the Peter issue, as well as who he's staying with, will be clarified soon as well as to why Arthur wants to get near the monarchs.**

**I suppose now's a good time as any to explain the geography. There are three continents: Memoria, Nievus, and Aeturnus Eturnus. Each continent is ruled by a king (or queen, but seeing as how most of the Hetalia cast is male…) and each continent's capital is named after the continent (hence why there's Memoria, the city they're in, and Memoria, the kingdom. It could be confusing to tell which one is being used, but "Memoria City" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Memoria").**

**Nievus and Memoria are about equal in size, although Memoria is more populated. Both these kingdoms are in the same landmass, so there is much interaction between the two (such as how Gilbert and Ludwig are in vacation in Memoria instead of Nievus). Aeturnus Eturnus is an island off the east coast of the Nievan-Memorian landmass (that I have not named) so there isn't as much interaction with them. As Ludwig mentioned earlier, the Aeturnus Eturnus kingdom split up into the Aeturnus and Eturnus kingdoms. The king who ruled the Aeturnus Eturnus kingdom rules Aeturnus while a new king leads Eturnus. Each kingdom has a different aspect to them, such as how Memoria is Steampunk-based (or attempted to be) and how Aeturnus Eturnus is more Clockpunk-based (or I'm planning them to be. I have no idea for Nievus though).**

**That's just about it. The kingdoms names as well as the various cities are taken from Latin words, such as how Antonio's city, Bovis, means "bull" or "ox", Feliciano's and Lovino's city, Esculenta, means "food", and how Elizabeta's city, Bellator, means "warrior" (I know, I know, not the best names for cities. I tried to look for words that sounded cool and was an aspect of the character that was from there). Of course, I could have made a mistake in the Latin, so please correct me if I'm wrong!**

Mio Dio (Italian) – My God


	6. The Monarchs Have Arrived

**EDIT:** _Vash is not a general, he is a commander. That was just me in the past not being able to distinguish the two._

* * *

><p>"<em>Things could go worse…"<em>

"This is never going to work."

"Relax Arthur, nothing can go wrong," Alfred pointed out, his hands behind his head.

Behind Alfred and Arthur was the crowd that had gathered to see the monarchs. There was barely any breathing room at town square, save for the straight pathway formed by soldiers that led to the gilded, white gates of the Royal District. Even though the actual meeting itself would take place at the Royal District, everyone had gathered at town square since the only way to pass through the walls dividing the Royal District from the Commercial District was through the entrance at town square. However, nobody in the crowd could bypass the soldiers stationed at what would roughly be the monarchs' pathway to the Royal District.

"This is mad; I can barely see anyone through this crowd, let alone the monarchs!" Arthur complained beside Alfred. He was wearing the clothes he had been wearing when he had stolen the telescope under his black overcoat; apparently, he didn't care if someone recognized him. Alfred could feel him fidgeting beside him and could imagine the irritated expression he had on his face.

"Hey, be thankful that you even got to be this close to the monarchs; if you were like most people, you'd be waaaaaay over there," Alfred pointed to the back of the crowd with one hand. "Plus, I was _supposed_ to be flying in the first place, so be glad that I even got this position."

Alfred knew that there would be soldiers that would guard the monarchs' pathway to the Royal District, so he was disappointed when Vash had told him that he would be with the rest of the aviators patrolling the skies, looking for any signs of the Nex's sky-ship. If he was up on the sky, he wouldn't be able to get a close look at the monarchs, which was what Arthur had intended to do; not only that, his plane could only fit one person, making it impossible for Arthur to go with him. Somehow, he managed to convince Vash to change his position to one in the ground, saying that his plane was broken and he didn't have the money to fix it. Oddly enough he agreed, and Alfred didn't have time to ponder why Vash seemed so short-tempered all of a sudden and why he would blow up at any mention of the possible danger the Memorian king could face from the Nex; guarding the pathway meant that Arthur could be as close as humanly possible to the monarchs, which was what Arthur had wanted.

_Why does he want to be near the monarchs anyways? _It aggravated Alfred that Arthur was being so evasive as to explaining why he wanted to be close to the kings, and every time he tried to get Arthur to explain why, he never answered.

Alfred sighed. He wished that he could be flying right now; he _was_ an aviator after all. However, Arthur needed his help, and Alfred needed his trust if he was going to figure out Arthur's true motives, so he just had to bear with it until whatever Arthur needed to see came by. On the other hand, Alfred was on the borderline to punching Arthur for his ungratefulness.

"I could have gotten here without your help," Arthur insisted for what seemed like the millionth time today. "It's not _that_ difficult to navigate the crowd."

Alfred fought to keep his cool. "Arthur, you're not the only one who wants to be near the monarchs; I'm positive that at least 65% of that crowd is fighting their way to this spot as we speak, and even if you did reach this spot, you'd have to have clearance to pass through the other guards, which _I_ gave you by saying that you're family. Face it; you wouldn't have gotten this close if you didn't have a friend in the military," he retorted, gesturing to the other line of soldiers that were keeping the crowd in check.

He saw Arthur flare for a second, then saw him taking in deep breaths the next. "I'm sorry Alfred, you're right; I should be thankful for being this close instead of whining about it."

"That's better," Alfred smirked. He knew that Arthur was proud and that he would fight through thick and thin to prove his point- he'd seen him fight with Francis too many times when he was a child- so it was somewhat rare for Arthur to just apologize without blowing up at least once. "Although, I still don't get why you need to get this close to the kings…Are you sure you don't want to tell me why?" If Arthur was willing to apologize, then maybe he was willing to tell Alfred everything.

"We've been over this Alfred; I'll tell you when I need to," Arthur spoke as if he was reciting lines. _Still not enough_. Alfred thought, a frown almost forming on his face.

"Come on Arthur, I might be able to help you if you'd tell me what you're looking for."

Arthur looked mildly surprised. "How did you know I was looking for someo-thing?"

_So it's a person he's looking for. _Alfred chuckled at the flash of self-deprecation in Arthur's eyes; no doubt he was cursing himself for slipping. "It wasn't hard; if you had needed to talk to the monarchs, you could have always asked Elizabeta or Francis to help you; both are in a position that gives them higher chances to allow you audience with any one of the rulers. And judging by the fact that you need to get close to them, you are looking for an object in the ruler's person," Alfred's glasses gleamed. "Or a person, as you so kindly let slip. And going by the conversation you had with Elizabeta and the others when she told you about the meeting, you're looking for a certain bodyguard. Am I right?" His smirked widened as he looked at Arthur.

Arthur glared at him weakly, respect in his eyes as well as caution. "You know, there are times when I wish you were still the boy who could barely tell apart 'erosion' from 'explosion'; this is one of them."

Alfred snickered. "Times have changed, Arthur. So, which bodyguard are you looking for? Maybe I can help you."

"I'm sure I'll be able to recognize them when I see them," Arthur replied calmly, his hands crossed and his eyes turned back to the pathway.

"You're looking for more than one person?" Arthur barely reacted; it didn't seem to be something of importance. "Then I'm sure you'll need another set of eyes to look for them."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who needs glasses just to see twenty feet in front of him," Arthur refused to look at him, but Alfred could see the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"My eyesight's not that bad! Just let me help you Arthur, things would go much quicker if I he-" A burst of fanfare interrupted him. Alfred immediately snapped into position, looking akin to a toy soldier. To his left, Alfred could hear the gates of the Royal District open, with men blowing out trumpets emerging from the gates.

Through the corner of his eyes, Alfred saw the King's Herald emerge from the gates with four Memorian commanders following suit; he was surprised to see that Vash was one of them. _Why would they choose the commander of the worst unit of the military to guard the king? _Before Alfred could think more of the subject, the generals stopped and separated, with two generals on each side of the path. Alfred could hear the crowd cheer as the Memorian king stepped out of the gates, his adviser on his right and the military's general to his left.

This was the first time Alfred had ever seen the Memorian King, and was astonished to see how regal he looked despite not wearing a crown. The Memorian king had solemn violet eyes behind glasses and somewhat wavy brown hair with a wild strand of hair sticking out. He wore a royal blue long coat lined with gold and tight cuffs that enclosed the wrists. The coat was only buttoned up to the waist area, leaving the rest of the coat open with the back of the coat flaring a little bit away from the body; Alfred guessed that the coat would go past his knees if the coat lay still. To finish the look, the Memorian king wore black trousers tucked into rustic brown boots with a strip of leather that strapped across the curve of the foot and the leg.

"All hail King Roderich Edelstein of Memoria, the host of today's meeting," announced the herald.

Alfred heard the fanfare play again, a higher pitched tune emitting from before. He looked to his right to see a small group of people coming. As they approached closer to him, Alfred saw that the group comprised of four people. Two guards wearing long green robes with red lining led the way, their eyes hidden under their black caps. Behind them were what Alfred assumed to be the monarch and his heir.

Under his rounded rattan cap, Alfred could see that the foreign emperor's dark hair was tied into a ponytail. He wore a silken, yellow long coat that was split in the center front and sides and was decorated with multiple designs, the most repetitive one being of dragons. There was a side-seam that extended to the front right from the rounded, dark brown neckline. His hands were hidden in his sleeves, his head held high with pride gleaming in his amber eyes. The person next to him was shorter and looked younger than both the emperor and Alfred himself. He wore a similar coat as the emperor, except his was burgundy with a red neckline. He had choppy, dark brown hair that came down to his jaw under his cap, although it was hard to see since his head was bowed.

"All hail Emperor Wang Yao of Aeturnus and his heir, Prince Kaoru," the herald announced when they reached the king.

_Things must be really serious if the Aetian emperor brought his heir._ Alfred thought. He glanced at Arthur to see if his reaction. Judging by the fact that Arthur still looked tense and searching, he wasn't looking for anyone with the Aetian nobility. He saw Arthur jump slightly when he noticed Alfred looking and glared at him. _None of your business…_ The words from a few days ago repeated into his mind until it left a bitter imprint. Alfred hastily looked back to the pathway and saw that another group was approaching the king, the fanfare playing an oddly calming tune.

Like the Aetians, this group also compromised of four people, but Alfred was surprised to see that two of the people were Memorians. They both wore the Memorian military uniform and had olive skin, although one was taller and the other one significantly shorter. The taller one had dark brown hair hidden under a green cap with a mask obscuring the upper part of his face; his companion had sleepy green eyes with brown hair under a white cap. The two people behind them were as different as night and day, and yet Alfred could tell that they were both from the same empire.

The man on the left was a short, slim man with black hair. He wore a black, double-breasted long coat that reached past his knees. Golden epaulettes adorned his shoulders, and an ornamental tassel decorated the left side of his coat. The frog clasps at the center of the coat were clasped all the way so that the coat lay still. Tight cuffs lined with gold hugged at his wrists, with the rest of the coat also being lined with gold. Black trousers were tucked into knee-length boots of the same color, but lined with the same gold as the coat. Even though he looked reserved and aloof, Alfred could tell that the man was deadlier than he appeared by the hard look hidden behind his blank, dark brown eyes.

His companion was his polar opposite. He was significantly taller than the other man, but it wasn't hard to tell that he was younger than his companion and Alfred himself. He had short, black-brown hair with a long, flyaway curl on the right side of his head (Alfred could have sworn that he saw an expression on it, but that was an idiotic thought). Unlike his elder, who wore clothes similar to what one would see in Memoria, he wore clothes that looked similar to what the Aetians had worn. He wore a long, navy blue robe that barely showed the black pants underneath it. It was the strangest robe Alfred had seen; from the upper chest and down, the fabric seemed to be pleated. The elongated, overflowing sleeves covered most of his arms, including his hands. A barely visible black sash was tied around the waist and had two decorative gold tassels attached to it. The young man looked at the Memorian crowd with searching, vibrant eyes and a high-spirited expression on his face.

"All hail Emperor Honda Kiku of the new empire of Eturnus and his heir, Prince Im Yong Soo."

_Why would both the Aetian and Etan kings bring their heirs instead of their advisors? Is the Nex _that _worrying to them?_ He shook his head. _Focus Alfred, focus; you're here to help Arthur, not wonder about the affairs of foreign empires. _Alfred looked at Arthur again, although this time, he didn't even notice Alfred looking; he seemed tenser and agitated, but Alfred could tell that he had not found the people he had been looking for. _That leaves Nievus then…Which makes sense, since he _was_ pretty worked up when Elizabeta had told him about the Nex attack on a Nievan city… but what does his little brother have to do with who could be the Nievan king's bodyguards? Unless…_ Alfred snapped back to attention when he saw the Nievan group approach the king, the fanfare playing a low, deep tune. This group was also compromised of four people, but they couldn't have been made of a stranger bunch. Instead of being behind, the Nievan king walked proudly in front with his advisor right next to him.

The Nievan king wore a mix of a short jacket and a long coat; it was basically a white short jacket with the back of the coat being long enough to almost reach his feet, although it was hard to tell since it was flowing behind him. The jacket was lined with red with the sleeves not even reaching his elbows, showing the flaring, mid-length sleeves of the shirt he wore under it. The shirt itself looked odd; it was a red shirt lined with orange with white lining extending from the collar to form a circle in the middle. White trousers were tucked into knee-high red boots with gold lining, but the boots weren't the only odd factor about the Nievan king's regalia. Even though Memoria wasn't the warmest city in the Memorian empire, it was still hot enough, so Alfred didn't see how the Nievan king could survive wearing that orange scarf of his. His smiling, round face with its prominent nose was framed by his light beige-blonde hair, giving him a child-like aura, although Alfred shivered when he saw his calculating violet eyes; it was almost like he was planning on the best way to take over Memoria.

The Nievan king towered over most people, including his advisor. His advisor was a slim man with shoulder-length brown hair and sensitive green eyes. He wore a red, gold-lined, sleeveless cotton jacket over a plain white shirt lined with red. His hands fell to his sides, the long sleeves of the shirt hiding most of his hands. His white trousers were tucked under long, brown boots. He tried to walk with the same confidence as the Nievan king, but Alfred could see the slight shake of his gait; nevertheless, Alfred couldn't help but feel respect for him for the somewhat proud manner he held himself despite his somewhat obvious terror.

"All hail King Ivan Braginski of Nievus," the herald announced, a slightly sour note to his voice. "The four monarchs have gathered, and so the meeting…"

"They're here…" Alfred almost missed the words uttered beside him, but he heard it all the same. Alfred didn't listen to the rest of the herald's announcement; instead, he inspected the Nievan bodyguards. One of them was as tall as the Nievan king himself; he wore a long, blue overcoat with a matching hat, a black shirt and tie, black pants, gloves, and boots. Short, light blonde hair framed his face, and his greenish-blue eyes were fixed with an intense stare, his glasses intensifying the effect. In contrast, his partner had a strong, but cute face. Under his white beret were short, blonde hair and joyful violet eyes, unlike the Nievan king's cold ones. He wore a light blue Nievan military uniform with a cross neck-charm on the jacket.

They didn't look that impressive, but Arthur was worried about the Nievan king bringing his best, and his reaction confirmed it; he was as tense as a board and his face was completely disheartened. Alfred saw Arthur's eyes search the Nievan bodyguards frantically, and could literally see a thought process going on behind those emerald eyes. An old fire burned in him when he saw the slightest hint of anguish in Arthur's eyes, a pain that Alfred had started to see frequently six years ago.

_What is Arthur hiding, and what does the Nievans have to do with this?_ He thought, the fire in him reigniting as an old memory resurfaced, one where Alfred had been telling his brother about Arthur's recent attitude…

* * *

><p><em>This can't be happening…<em>Arthur thought as he watched the monarchs enter the gates of the Royal District, the Nievans going last. _Of all the soldiers they could have picked, they had to pick them…_ An old memory started to form on his mind, making him remember how he even got acquainted with them in the first place.

_"You have a plan…? You better not be lying, Francis, because this is serious." A blurred face chuckled in front of 11-year old Arthur. Arthur glared at him, his grip tightening on the baby he was holding._

_I knew they were one of the best, but I didn't know they were this good… _Arthur didn't pay attention as the soldiers started to give orders; he was too busy trying to shoo the memory away. It didn't work.

"_Are you sure they'll take in Peter? I don't even know them…And wouldn't it seem odd to just ask them to take care of a random baby? ... What? You're _positive _they don't mind? Hm…I suppose they'll do..." Arthur looked at his baby brother, envious that he looked so peaceful while his world spun in turmoil. "They live far enough; Peter will be safe there."_

_I just hope that they didn't bring Peter with them… _In the back of his mind, Arthur knew the chances of them bringing Peter here was slim, but so far, he seemed to have terrible luck when it came to things like this.

"_Sod off, Francis! Why I need to hide him has nothing to do with you! _What_? You can't…You can't do that! You can't _not_ help me; you know how important this is to me!" he saw the other shrug with an infuriating smirk on his face. Arthur went red, knowing that he was beaten. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you better still be helping me or I'll punch your lights out!"_

Arthur suddenly felt someone drag him away and into the dispersing crowd. He looked to see that Alfred was leading him away from the town square, his face turned away from him so that Arthur couldn't see his expression.

"Alfred, where are you taking me…?" Arthur's mind was in such a jumble that he wasn't even angry at him for disturbing his thoughts. Alfred didn't answer, his face still away from him as he pulled him harder. Neither of them spoke until they finally reached his house.

"I'm going to need to tell the others about what happened today," Arthur stated finally as he locked the door when they were inside, breaking the silence. "No doubt they weren't as close as we were, and I need their help."

"For what?" Alfred hung his jacket on the coat rack, his tone conversational. He didn't meet Arthur's eyes. "We already went through with this crazy idea; don't tell me you have another one."

"Unfortunately, I do," Arthur hung his coat as well, his arm brushing against Alfred's. "I need to sneak in the Royal District."

Arthur looked at Alfred, waiting for the expected response of something that would probably go along the lines of "You're crazy; there's no way you can pull this off" or, when it was Alfred, "Why do you need to do that?" Instead, he was surprised to see Alfred turn to him, his cerulean eyes steady.

"_I'll_ help you then," Arthur was startled to hear the forceful tone in Alfred's voice. "I helped you with this plan, I'll help you again."

"Alright then," Arthur couldn't refuse him, as much as he wanted to; it unnerved him to see such a passionate yet calm expression on Alfred, a new kind of determination that was unlike his usual one. What unnerved him even more was that Alfred didn't even ask _why._ "But how will you manage this time? Not even those in the military could go in and out of the Royal District as they please."

"I'll manage," Alfred chuckled slightly as he turned away and started to walk back to his room. "After all," Arthur strained to listen as Alfred's voice became uncharacteristically quiet. "I told him a long time ago that I wanted to help you, and I intend to do that even now," he disappeared behind the corridor before Arthur could question him about it.

_What is he talking about?_ Arthur thought as he settled on his green couch. Who_ is he talking about? What is going on with him?_ Arthur sighed and lay down on the couch, his arm over his face. _There are times when I don't get that boy…I wish he would just tell me what's wrong with him already; it would make things much easier, for both me _and _him._

* * *

><p><strong>Weird ending is weird ending. I practically died when it came to the clothes (ask my friend), but I somehow pulled through. It took me this long to notice that "Nievus" is spelled wrong and that the right word is "Niveus", but I'm keeping Nievus since it sounds cooler XD Oh Arthur, you silly goose, you should really follow your own advice; it would make things easier for the both of you~<strong>


	7. Things Shouldn't Be This Easy

"…_Especially when you say it will."_

Alfred F. Jones was in a bad mood.

_Calm down; you pulled through for Arthur once, you can do it again._ Alfred played with his pencil, his head down as Vash rambled on about something. It had been a few days since the monarchs had arrived in Memoria, and things had reverted back to normal, save for a few things; Vash didn't mention anything about being one of the King's guards, and when Alfred had wanted to ask, Carlos had stopped him. Apparently, he and the Memorian King had some bad blood between them, and it was best not to incite any of Vash's hair trigger tempers. As curious as Alfred was as to why the general of the worst military unit would be chosen to guard the king, he was more focused on other matters, namely two things. One was the Nex; although they didn't attack the monarchs like how everyone thought they would, the Nex instead had picked up activity, something that annoyed Alfred to no end. He could be doing something productive instead of just lazing about in the military base, but they were just given the task to guard the Rural District, which Alfred and most everyone saw was just a lame attempt to push their unit out of the way. However, even the Nex paled in comparison to the other thing that Alfred was worried about: Arthur.

_Getting near the monarchs was easy enough, but now he wants to get in the Royal District? _What _is Arthur up to?_ Arthur had wanted the impossible again- to get into the Royal District- and Alfred was having a hard time coming up for a satisfactory plan to get in. The Royal District was pretty self-explanatory; it was the part of Memoria where the King, his officials, and the foreign embassies were. On a normal day, the Royal District was packed with soldiers and guards that nary a mouse could get in. Add in all of the monarchs and you have security the equivalent of a normal day times ten. _If only he could tell me already what he's up to…Man, I'd be rich if I had a dime for every time I felt like this. _Alfred sighed and dropped his head on the table, his right arm outstretched next to him. _It's like he doesn't trust me… Sure I technically ran away from him when I was young, but that doesn't mean I'm not trustworthy… I mean, I ran away for a good cause!_ Alfred sighed again.

"This is getting me nowhere," he grumbled to himself quietly. "I should just focus on the task at hand: sneaking in the Royal District."

"Sneaking in to what?" Alfred jumped at the unfamiliar voice and turned to see Gupta staring at him, his exterior calm. Alfred looked around to see who had talked, but Carlos and Vash were distracted already, so it had to be Gupta.

"You can talk?" Gupta was always silent no matter how loud Alfred and the others were, so Alfred just assumed that he was mute. Gupta quirked an eyebrow.

"Just because I choose not to talk does not mean I am incapable of doing so," he replied, slightly chastising. "Why do you need to get in the Royal District?"

"I," Alfred looked around to see if anyone else was paying attention to him; luckily, Vash and Carlos was arguing about something, so they were in the clear. He looked back at Gupta; he wasn't sure if he trusted him enough to tell him about Arthur's plans…which he didn't even know himself. "I just need to, okay?" Alfred was glad that he didn't have to lie; he was a terrible liar.

Gupta sat there silent, his eyes thoughtful. Alfred fidgeted under his gaze, unused to the silence. All the people he knew were usually loud; even his soft-spoken brother Matthew was capable of extreme lengths of chatter, as Alfred painfully remembered the three hour lecture he received from him one fateful day when he almost crashed his plane. It was startling how alike Matthew and Arthur were at that moment.

"I know these people..." Gupta said slowly.

"Yeah?" Was Gupta really going to help him without even knowing why?

"…That could help you," Gupta continued, his voice slowing and dropping lower with each word. "They are the guards for the Etan ruler, and I think that they will help you if I persuade them enough," he muttered something else under his breath, but Alfred didn't care; he was just given his plan on a silver platter.

"You really think so?" Alfred hoped his voice didn't sound too hopeful. Gupta didn't look like the pranking type, but Alfred couldn't be too careful. Gupta's mouth twitched slightly upwards.

"They are both trustworthy, although they fight all night and day. It makes it hard to live with them," he looked like he was going to chuckle, but no such sound came from his mouth. "They will help you."

Alfred sat there, his mind reeling. Was Gupta really going to help him without knowing why? "…Why are you doing this?" Alfred lowered his voice as he looked around to see if anyone was overhearing him. "For all you know, I could be planning to assassin the monarchs." Although it was unlikely that that was Arthur's plan, who knew what went on that head of his. _Now if he told me what he's up to, that would make things _much _easier, _he thought with a frown.

Gupta shrugged. "If you were, you wouldn't have carelessly let slip that you needed to get into the Royal District; even if you were, I have a feeling you wouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Aren't you the least bit curious on why I need to go to the Royal District?" Not that he knew himself why Arthur needed to go there, but any sane person would be curious why someone would need to break into the place where all four sovereigns lived, _especially_ with a crowd like the Nex around.

Gupta shrugged again. "It is not my place to question something you don't even know yourself," he placed his hand up when Alfred opened his mouth. Recognizing the signal to shut up, Alfred closed it. "I can see it in your eyes; you yourself are unsure of your own goal. However, what I do know is that whatever you plan to do, it will be for the better."

Alfred didn't know how to reply. Was he really that easy to read? "Thank you for helping me," he finally managed to say. "When can I meet them?"

Alfred was only listening half-heartedly when Gupta started telling him the best time his people could meet him. Alfred was still stuck on what Gupta had said. "_You yourself are unsure of your own goal." What lies…I know exactly why I'm helping Arthur,_ he thought as he nodded to what Gupta had said, although he forgot what it was a second later. _ It's because I-_

* * *

><p>Arthur started to regret asking Alfred for help. When he came back from the military base saying something about the Etan emperor's guards and how they could sneak him in, it sounded too good to be true. For one thing, Arthur didn't know that many people who did things without an ulterior motive, and whoever this Gupta person was, he was a complete stranger, therefore making him a possible enemy; however, that wasn't what set Arthur on edge. Alfred hadn't even asked to come with him, something Arthur was so sure he would do. <em>Maybe he's finally learning that this is my business and my business alone, <em>Arthur thought as he walked side-by-side with Alfred to the place where they would meet the Etan guards. All Alfred told him was that their "help" would be hanging around the Commercial District today with the Etan ruler.

Arthur risked a sidelong glance at Alfred, who was chattering mindlessly about who-knows-what. His eyes weren't burning with the same fervor they normally had whenever he did anything related to what Arthur had been doing. It was like he really _was _leaving him alone. _Rubbish, that boy never learned not to stick his nose in others' business, and I'll eat my hat if he isn't trying to get into mine._ Arthur refused to believe that Alfred's obstinate streak would end _that_ quickly.

"Are you sure you've got the date right? We've been walking around for hours," Arthur grumbled, breaking Alfred out of his spiel. Alfred laughed, a sound that came out short and sharp, so unlike his normal, obnoxious one.

"Arthur, I wouldn't make a stupid mistake like that," his eyes twinkled as he looked at Arthur, who had raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Okay, maybe I would, but I'm _positive_ that today's the right day."

"Then why haven't we found them yet? We've looked around every place a self-respecting ruler would go to."

"If you need a rest that badly, all you have to do is say so," Alfred grabbed his hand before Arthur could interrupt. "Come on, the _La Tomate_ Inn isn't that far from here; we can rest up there then continue our search!" Before Arthur could reply, Alfred was already sprinting towards the building, dragging Arthur along with him. Arthur felt slightly embarrassed; he had held hands with Alfred before, but that was when Alfred was a child. Men did not hold hands in public- that was something that could easily be misinterpreted- and yet Alfred was doing it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. However, Arthur found that he didn't really care about it; holding hands meant that they were less likely to get lost in the crowd that formed in the city during the day, so it was pretty practical at the moment…Although, it seemed that Alfred was gripping his hand much too tightly…and that he was running much quicker than he normally did…Was Alfred's hand always this sweaty? _Is he okay?_ It wasn't the first time Alfred had acted strange, but this was strange even by his standards.

Before Arthur could ask him about it, he found himself standing in front of the door to the _La Tomate _Inn. Alfred dragged him inside. "Come on old man! They have burgers and I'm hungry!"

"Who're you calling-" Arthur stopped, his jaw almost falling down.

"What're you-" Alfred followed his line of sight; Arthur felt the grip on his hand loosen. Sitting in a table in the middle of the room was the Etan emperor, wearing a pristine white long coat with golden epaulettes that reached his knees and crisp, white pants with matching loafers. Tucked inside a pocket at his left breast was an ornate pocket watch, the chain clipped on to the pocket. On either side of the Etan king sat Ludwig and Feliciano, Feliciano chatting happily and Ludwig trying to explain what the Esculentan was saying. Most importantly, the Etan king's guards were there, both wearing the same uniform Arthur had seen them wear when the monarchs arrive. They were both engaged in a heated argument, although it looked as if they were both holding back on each other.

They saw Ludwig issue a small cough and then turn to them. "Good morning Arthur, Alfred. What are you two doing here?"

"Ve~ Hi Arthur and Alfred! Did you guys come here to eat?" Feliciano smiled at them, his eyes still as closed as ever.

"That was our plan, but…" Alfred trailed uncertainly, glancing every now and then to the Etan ruler. "Are you really the Etan king, or am I just hallucinating?"

"I am," the Etan king said as he stood up, his voice low and oddly serene. He bowed to them gracefully, as if he had done it a hundred times before…something he had probably done before. "My name is Honda Kiku, but the western order would be Kiku Honda. It is a pleasure to meet you two."

"I am Arthur Kirkland, and this is Alfred F. Jones. It is an honor to meet you as well," Arthur replied, bowing to the other man. He looked up to see that Alfred was still standing, evidently staring at ruler. Arthur freed his hand from Alfred's grip and forced him to bow by applying pressure to the back of his head. Finally, Alfred bowed to the Etan emperor as well, but not without scowling at Arthur.

"Please, you do not need to bow down to me," the Etan emperor said as they stood back up. Arthur noticed that Feliciano and Ludwig were gone for some reason. "I am a guest in your country, not a monarch in my own kingdom. I wish to be treated the same as anyone else."

"As you wish," Arthur answered. He could've sworn he saw Alfred twitch right next to him. "I know we've just met, but will you be so kind to do us a favor Your Highness?"

"If it is something within my power to do so, then yes," the Etan emperor's brown eyes flashed briefly in amusement before returning back into its normally blank state. "And please just call me Kiku. Again, I only wish to be treated like everyone else."

"Alright then Kiku," Alfred sounded calm and relaxed- _too_ calm and relaxed. "We need to break in the Royal District; can you help us?" Arthur gaped at Alfred. How tactless could he get?

"Whaddya need to break in the Royal District for?" the guards who were fighting just a moment ago had stopped to stare at Alfred. The taller one had spoken, his voice deep and gruff. "We don't need any more troublemakers, isn't that right Heracles?" He looked pointedly at the shorter man, a smirk wide on his face.

"You're…the troublemaker Sadik…" the other argued, his voice sleepy yet heated. "You always…make things… difficult for Kiku…Just leave him alone!"

"_Me_?" Sadik looked indignant. "You're the one that's always keeping him for yourself! I know what you're up to Heracles, you're trying to-"

"I will be glad to help you two," Kiku stated quickly while glancing worriedly at the other two. "We can go right now if you want. However, I cannot help you once we're inside the Royal District; it would look too suspicious for the Etan emperor to be leading two unknown persons inside the embassies."

"Thank you, that's all I needed," Arthur smiled inwardly; this was too easy. He turned to Alfred. "You can go home now Alfred; thank you for helping me."

"What're you talking about Arthur?" Alfred looked at him as if he had just said something stupid. "I'm coming with you."

"Alfred, how many times do I have to te-" Alfred smiled at him serenely with his eyes glinting dangerously, a sight that sent chills down Arthur's spine.

"Tell me what?" he asked innocently, his voice thinly laced with something more deadly. "I _am _coming with you, right Arthur? _Right?"_

"Of course you are," Arthur spoke before he could think. Sure Alfred could be forceful, but he usually wasn't this subtle about it.

"That's good then!" Alfred beamed, his old personality seemingly coming back. "What're we waiting for then?" he turned to the Etan emperor and his guards, who had just stood there dumbstruck. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"…You should taste the hamburgers at the <em>La Tomate<em> Inn- they're really good! I don't know how Feliciano can make them that good. It's like magic!" Alfred prattled on to Kiku casually, as if it was normal thing to converse with royalty. Kiku was listening to Alfred with an expression of utmost patience, although he did look mildly interested at what Alfred was talking about. His two guards walked at the rear, already in another heated argument. Arthur was walking behind Alfred and Kiku, watching Alfred carefully.

_He seems to be back to normal now…_ Arthur thought as Kiku nodded to what Alfred had said, promising that he would try out these "hamburgers" the next time he visited the inn. _But something still seems wrong…I wonder why he hasn't told me yet? It's like he doesn't trust me!_ Arthur felt annoyance wash over him like a wave. _What have I done to make him think that he can't trust me? I haven't done anything that would make him think so!_ A small voice at the back of his head nagged him about not telling him about Peter and the rest, but Arthur just shot that voice down. _Not telling him is the best thing I could have done for him! Who knows what he'll do if he knows the whole truth! It'd be chaos!_ He sighed, wondering when he'd stoop so low as to arguing with himself.

"Are you okay, Mr. Kirkland?" Arthur lifted up his head to see Kiku and Alfred looking back at him, one worried, one curious.

"I'm fine...just thinking, that's all," He refused to meet Alfred's eyes.

"Thinking about what? It doesn't matter," Alfred plowed on before Arthur could speak. "We're almost there, so cheer up Artie!"

Arthur flared red, but they had already reached the gates of the Royal District. Two guards stood there, both having the same dark skin as Sadik and Heracles. Their short, cropped hair was tucked under their hats.

"Who're they Sadik? Haven't we told you not to bring any people in here?" The guard who had spoken turned to Kiku. "Pardoning Your Majesty of course."

"It's fine, they're with me," Kiku replied smoothly, ignoring Sadik's outraged look behind him. Kiku quickly herded them through the guards, who looked like they were going to start arguing with him. A few seconds later, the guards looked like they were going to have an all-out brawl with Sadik, who was screaming something about being trustworthy. Heracles was trying to calm both parties, but exploded when Sadik snapped at him.

"As much as I like them, I'm starting to think they argue with people too much," Kiku observed in a whispered hush, watching Sadik and Heracles. "Although it's not as bad when Sadik and Heracles argue…You'd think Sadik would learn already to never touch Heracles's cats…" he sighed, walking them through a cobbled white pathway bordered by hedges with various colored roses, from red to white to yellow to purple. To their southwest, the castle loomed over them in all its white marble glory. Guards were stationed everywhere around the castle: in the balconies, some behind the windows, on top of the roof, you name it. However, the pathway didn't seem to be laced with guards- it could actually pass for a normal pathway inside a garden.

"This is where I leave you," Kiku said as the path widened into a circle surrounded by tall hedges that covered their view of everything but the sky. There were three openings in the hedges, each having their own pathway leading to who-knows-where. The western opening had a pathway of silver cobblestone, each gleaming brightly in the sunlight, making the soft silver color appear as the dazzling white of snow. The center opening had a pathway of cobblestone painted a crimson red that was also lined with golden yellow and forest green, giving off a feel that the pathway was something alive...almost as if the pathway was the back of a great creature. Finally, the pathway on the east was the most simple, the cobblestone being the same as the path they had just gone through, except this one had greens popping in between the cracks, looking as if the moss wanted to devour the cobblestone.

"Thank you for bringing us here. We really appre-"

Kiku interrupted Arthur, an expression of hardened steel behind his normally emotionless brown eyes. "Please do not make me regret bringing you two here. If you do anything to disturb the peace, I will make sure that you will regret it with all your heart," his voice was the same tone as it had been any other time he had talked, like he was merely stating the weather. "I wish you luck," he walked away from them, taking the eastern path. Alfred and Arthur just stood there, not sure how to react.

"We should go," Alfred swallowed nervously. "Hmm…which one to take…" He studied each path carefully. "Let's take this one!" He grabbed Arthur's hand again and led him through the central pathway, running at a full sprint.

"Alfred, calm down! We might run into someone if we run!" Arthur protested. "And step lightly! You're making too much noise!" Alfred ignored him and kept on sprinting through the pathway, the hedges at their sides growing taller, obscuring more of their vision. The leafy corridor continued to twist and turn, never seeming to end. Arthur's apprehension grew as Alfred's step became heavier as he tired. "Alfred!"

Alfred finally stopped, turning to him with a look of clear annoyance. "What? Didn't you want to look for the Nievan embassy? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Of course it is! But we might get caught if you make too much noise!" Arthur snapped, looking around the pathway with growing dread. When they were running, Arthur caught glimpses of what he thought to be paper lanterns, but they had run so fast that he couldn't make sure. "I don't even think you chose the right pathway! What if this is the-"

"AIYAA! What do you mean you can't find them?"

Arthur and Alfred froze, dread chilling them both. They walked forward until the corridor opened into a sunny clearing with medium-sized hedges circling around it. The clearing was paved with golden tiles, all as blinding as the sun as its rays bounced off its shiny surface. The embassy at the middle of the clearing was short, stocky wooden building with low, yellow-tiled roofs that flared out. The walls were painted scarlet, the columns holding up the embassy the same color. Golden designs surrounded the building, each design looking indistinctly like dragons. The doors were bottle green lined with gold, the doorknobs as shiny as the pavement. In front of the building stood the Aetian emperor and his guards, the emperor's face red and his voice shrill with the guards bowing in shame. Alfred dragged Arthur behind a nearby hedge, trying to hide themselves from plain view.

"We've looked around everywhere but we could not find them Your Majesty," one of the guards said in a quiet, low voice, his voice wavering in his almost hidden fear. Both guards recoiled when the emperor started to speak in the Aetian language, his voice harsh and enraged. It seemed like hours before the Aetian emperor calmed down, his hand on his chest as he caught his breath.

"I…Do not blame you two," Arthur would have snorted if he didn't have to stay quiet. "Just go find them before sundown or you'll both be fired aru." The two guards nodded vigorously then disappeared into another opening in the hedges. The Aetian emperor ran his hands over his hair while muttering to himself, his hands playing with the hair tie that kept his brown hair in a ponytail. He sighed then walked inside the Aetian embassy, looking older than his years (although no one knew the Aetian emperor's age; some said that he was really 4000 years old, but Arthur thought that was ridiculous. Nobody could live that long). They sat still, waiting for someone to come. No one did.

"The coast is clear," Alfred whispered beside him. "We better go Arthur; I think we went the wrong way."

"We wouldn't have if you had taken the time to _think_ on where we were going!" Arthur growled, his voice equally as low. "What were you thinking, just charging through a path without a thought in the world? You should have considered it more carefully! Honestly, what's wrong with you these days? You're not the most careful person in the world, but even _you_ aren't this careless!"

"Well excuse me princess," Alfred snarled. Arthur cringed at how strong his voice was. "But I'm not the one who needed to come here in the first place! I was only trying to help you do…whatever you wanted to do!"

"I don't need your help Alfred! I've been doing perfectly fine by myself for the past six years!" _When will he understand that I don't want him to be a part of this?_ Arthur thought at the back of his head, hoping his desperation didn't carry over to his voice.

"And now I've come to help you!" Alfred didn't seem to notice a thing. "And if you haven't notice, I've been doing a pretty good job of it lately! You couldn't even sneak inside here without my help!"

"I would've figured something out eventually!" Arthur retorted, his voice rising higher. _"When will you understand that I don't need you?"_

"Never." Arthur blinked. When had Alfred become this bold? Arthur missed the curious, energetic child that Alfred used to be; he was much cuter when he was less headstrong. Now he was just an impetuous brat that got into people's business...

They continued to glare at each other in the familiar silence that seemed to come up any time they even talked. It was getting ridiculous on how many fights they would get into with silence somehow developing between them; it was starting give Arthur the chills. He hated staring into those blue eyes and being constantly reminded that the tender youth was gone, only to be replaced by a fiery adult. Arthur broke away, unable to stand any more.

"We have to go. We need to find the Nievan embassy before we get caught," Arthur stated, feeling Alfred's burning gaze on him. "I mean _I_ need to find the Nievan embassy. You've done enough."

"If you're going, I am too," Alfred apparently still had some fight in him. "I refuse to leave you Arthur! Plus, you need someone to watch your back just in case someone comes!"

"Alfred, you have to _leave."_ Arthur placed as much force in his words as possible, although he thought that it wouldn't do much of a difference."It's easier to catch two people than one!"

"Arthur," Alfred looked at him in irritation. "What can possibly go wro-?"

"What are you two doing here?"

They both jumped back, seeing two pairs of eyes looking at them through the hedges. "You're not supposed to be here." A different voice spoke from the first, but it didn't matter to Arthur. They were caught.

* * *

><p><strong>It's been, what, a month or so since my last update of any fanfic? Oh well, I have homework, procrastination, video games, and <em>especially<em> procrastination to blame. Sigh, out of the fanfics I'm currently writing (KG and TP in short), this is the hardest, mostly since I'm not sure what to write in it (and I have a whole outline too…Oh well, KG's catching up to its difficulty). Anyways, not really sure what to place for this chapter, so I hope it wasn't too bad. Quote is the continuation of the last update!**


	8. So Of Course We Get Caught

_Wow, 'tis been quite some time since I last updated… Sorry about that XD It's been so long that I had to re-read it all… I was actually supposed to upload this earlier, but then I downloaded the trial of VX Ace and spent 7+ days of my free time working on creating a small game XD Oh well, hope you like it!_

_PS: There's a poll in my profile if you're interested, but this isn't what the post-note is about. If you've forgotten or didn't know, Kaoru is Hong Kong (fan made name) Also, there will be some British swearing in here, so tell me if I'm using it wrong._

* * *

><p>"<em>You have to work with the unexpected to succeed in life."<em>

Alfred gulped as two boys came out of the hedges, eyes widening when he saw that they were the Aetian and Etan heirs. Both were wearing the clothes they had been wearing when they first came.

"So, what are you two doing here?" The taller of the two -Yong Soo?- asked. He looked at them inquisitively. "Wow, maybe _Aniki_ is right; this place must not be safe if you guys can sneak in here."

"Why are you calling Teacher '_aniki_'? He's _my_ brother," The one wearing burgundy- Kaoru?- said. "I know you come over a lot, but that's a bit of a stretch… Although I agree with you when you say that this place is unsafe," he cast a glance at Arthur and Alfred. "So how'd you come in here? We won't tell anyone we saw you if you told us."

"Wait a minute," Alfred looked behind at the Aetian embassy. "Wasn't the Aetian emperor looking for you two? And why do you want to know how we came here?"

Yong Soo tilted his head like he didn't know why Alfred was asking such an obvious question. "Of course aniki would be looking for us; there's not a day when he doesn't."

"As for your other question," Kaoru looked at Yong Soo in a half-glare sort of way. "Naturally we'd want to know how two complete strangers came in here; it could, like, compromise our safety or something… I mean, for all we know you could be assassins."

Yong Soo scoffed. "Doubt it Kaoru; assassins wouldn't get caught by two teenagers that easily. Plus, they haven't attacked us yet, so there's no way they're hit-men."

"Emperor Kiku let us in," Alfred answered quickly before Kaoru could retaliate. They both looked at him. "We didn't sneak in or anything, but we're looking for something, so we saw him around the city and asked him if we could come here." Alfred could feel Arthur glaring at him, but he didn't care; he needed to earn those two's trust if they were going to get out of this.

"Oh," Yong Soo's voice dropped in enthusiasm with that one word. "My cousin let you in," he seemed intensely disappointed. "I guess that solves it. So what do you need?" He asked as he sat down in front of them, apparently satisfied with the answer they had given. "We're not saying that we'll help you, but if my cousin let you in, it means that he thinks that you're good people… Or that he can get rid of you if you do anything fishy."

"Well…" Alfred cast a glance at Arthur, who had been quiet the whole time.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Arthur narrowed his eyes at them as Kaoru sat down with a sigh.

"How do we know that _we_ can trust _you_?" he said bluntly, meeting Arthur's eyes with his own. "One scream and Teacher will be coming at our 'rescue' and have you two executed; I don't think you're in the position to be questioning how trustworthy we are right now."

Arthur smiled, as if that was the answer he wanted. "Smart boy. Well, seeing as how I have no choice, I need to speak to some people in the Nievan embassy. We were supposed to go there from the start, but…" he scowled at Alfred, who just glared back. Kaoru looked at them both nonchalantly.

"Alright then, that's easy enough; it's only right over there," he stood up and dusted his back. "But you have to help us first."

"What?" Alfred couldn't believe his ears. Sure he knew (more like guessed) that they were going to help them, but this was more than he thought of; it was bad enough that they were caught, but now they had to do favors? "If you said it was easy, why do you need something in return?"

"Because we can," Yong Soo grinned. "You need something and we want something you can give, so it's only natural that we ask for payment," he shrugged. "We don't even need much anyways."

"But-"

"It's only fair that we do something in return for their help," Arthur interrupted Alfred, his voice holding thinly covered annoyance. He turned to the two princes. "What are your terms?"

"Sneak us out of here."

_You've got to be kidding me,_ _right?_

"Pardon?" Arthur said.

"You heard us," Yong Soo smiled. "We want out."

"But why in the world would you want to escape?" Alfred interrupted Arthur before he could speak. "Don't you have a duty to your kingdoms? You're both princes!"

"That's just it," Kaoru grimaced. "Neither me or Yong Soo want to be the heirs to the throne. The only reason we're the heirs in the first place is 'cause I'm Teacher's only sibling; Kiku is an only child and since Yong Soo is his closest relative, he became the heir," he sighed. "We just want to be normal y'know."

"Still," Alfred couldn't believe his ears. "You have a duty to your kingdoms; whether you want to or not, you have to live up to it."

"Ugh, you sound just like Teacher," Kaoru's voice was disapproving. "You know how stressful it is being a prince? I only agreed to come here since it would mean a break from all my lessons. Too bad there's the Nex though, that ruined it all," he shook his head. "That's not the point. Are you getting us out or not?"

"We can't do that," Arthur answered. "We promised Kiku that we wouldn't do anything while we're here, and sneaking you two out would surely get the both of us in trouble with him."

"But if you don't help us, then we'll just call on Aniki and get you both in trouble anyways," Yong Soo replied. "So what's it going to be?"

Arthur's face turned pensive as he weighed the pros and cons of the situation. Alfred wondered what the older man was thinking; it was easy to tell that this was a problem for Arthur… one that was caused by Alfred.

_It's my fault that we went the wrong way in the first place…_ Alfred glanced at the two princes, both of whom were waiting for their reply. _If I hadn't been so brash, maybe we could've escaped this… _Alfred hated where his mind was going._ There has to be something I can do to correct this… but that means…_ He sighed.

"I'll help you," he finally said. The princes looked surprised at Alfred's sudden exclamation. If you two get caught, tell the authorities that I helped you, but leave Arthur out of it," He kept on going, ignoring the other's look of disbelief. "I'm the only one who's going to help you, so there's no need to include Arthur in all of this."

"Are you daft? !" Arthur interjected furiously. "Are you seriously thinking of helping two _royal heirs_ of _enemy countries_ sneak out of the palace, _while the Nex is still out there? !?" _He looked like he was about to wring his neck. "Not only that, but you're in the _military_! You'll be _disgraced_ if you do this!"

_Like I didn't think of that before?_ Alfred bit his lip before the words left him. "Arthur, I'm in the worst unit of the military; you can't get any more disgraced than that," It stung Alfred to be doing something so against the law, but Arthur came first. "Besides, I said that I'll help you, didn't I? I got us into this mess and I'm getting us out," he turned to the two bo ys. "So is it a deal?"

Arthur's face was red. "Alfred, you have to think this over; this could-"

"_Is it a deal?_" He continued on, focusing only on the two princes.

Kaoru and Yong Soo looked at each other for a fraction of a second. "It's a deal," Yong Soo nodded. "Kaoru will bring your boyfriend over here to the Nievan embassy while you help me find a way out."

"I'm not his boyfriend," Arthur protested.

"I never agreed to that," Kaoru said at the same time. Yong Soo shrugged.

"C'mon Kaoru, this is a chance of a lifetime!" his eyes regained their enthusiastic flair. "Didn't you say that you didn't like being cooped up in the palace with your studies?"

"I did, but I never agreed to be the one to help Sir Bushy Brows over here," Kaoru jerked his head to Arthur. "Why can't it be you?"

"Because you're better at hiding than me," Yong Soo replied. "Whenever we sneak away from Aniki, I'm always the one that gets caught first while you're hiding up in a tree or something."

"Still that doesn't…" Kaoru sighed. "I'll help him. Just make sure that that one doesn't go against his end of the deal, alright?"

Alfred scoffed. "When I give my word, I mean it," he stood up and looked at Arthur, who looked ready to complain. "Don't worry Artie; you got what you wanted didn't you?"

Arthur glared at him as he stood up. "I wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't messed up in the first place," he continued to grumble under his breath, but Alfred managed to catch a 'thank you' somewhere in there.

_Even when he's against something, Arthur still has to be the gentleman and say 'thank you'._ Alfred tried to hide his laugh. _He doesn't change, does he? _He shook his head furiously. _Now's not the time for this; 'now' is the time where I break the law for a reason I don't even know. _He glanced at Arthur. _I hope this is worth it._

"Well then," the two boys got up. "Shall we go?"

''''''''

Arthur watched as Alfred and Yong Soo walked away. He didn't know what to think after Alfred agreed to help the princes escape. _The way that boy goes on about 'justice' and 'duty' makes you think that he would never go against it…_ He turned to Kaoru, feeling deeply unsettled. _He didn't have to do that. Hell, he shouldn't even be a _part _of this in the first place. _Damn the fact that he was so bloody good at being an aviator- if he wasn't, he wouldn't even be in Memoria in the first place.

_Things would have been _much_ better if he had just followed what I said and didn't become an aviator in the first place._

"Dude," Kaoru looked at him blankly, his voice breaking Arthur out of his reverie. "Are you like, ready or something?"

"Yes," Arthur sighed. It was a good thing Kaoru interrupted his thoughts when he did; Arthur would've gone mad if his memories of that time resurfaced. "And improve your diction; I didn't raise you to talk like you do," he answered automatically. He mentally cursed himself when he remembered that he was talking to Kaoru, not Alfred.

Kaoru scoffed. He didn't seem to mind being lectured. "You didn't even raise me in the first place. Anyways," he started walking, going through the path that Alfred and Arthur had took earlier. "Let's go."

They walked through the path in silence, the only sound being there footsteps and the rustling of Kaoru's clothes. He didn't turn back to check if Arthur was following him, although he probably didn't care much in the first place. Meanwhile, Arthur was stuck in his own thoughts, trying to think of the possibilities of the chance of the Väinämöinens bringing Peter along with them.

_It's been 12 years since I last saw him… _Arthur saw a faint picture of an infant in his mind. _ I wonder how he is now…_ He resisted the urge to chuckle. _What a terrible brother I must be, missing out 12 years of my youngest brother's life…_

Arthur sighed. Somehow, the word "brother" brought up another thought in his mind; instead of a picture of his infant biological little brother, the face of a small, blue-eyed child came up. _I was never his sibling in the first place, and yet I tried to be what I couldn't be for Peter to him… _This time he did chuckle, the sound coming out as bitter and hoarse. _ Look at how that turned out for me._

"Hey, I'm not going to wait for you, you know."

Arthur looked up to see that he was back to the circular clearing, although from a different perspective from last time. Kaoru was in the middle of the clearing, emitting an aura of faint annoyance while his face showed nothing on his thoughts.

"I don't see how you could have mistaken the Aetian pathway for the Nievan one," Kaoru walked to the direction of the western pathway. "Any idiot can tell that the Nievan pathway is the one that looks the most like snow."

"Well, I happen to be with a special kind of idiot," Arthur followed him through the pathway. "I'm not surprised that something like this happened."

"He really likes you, doesn't he?" Kaoru asked lightly. "That aviator guy… 'Alfred', right?"

Arthur snorted. "Your definition of 'like' must be different from mine. For one thing, I haven't seen the lad for 6 years, and we seem to be spending most of our time arguing as of late."

"Still, you can tell that he holds you in high esteem," Kaoru's voice became quiet. "Even if you fight 99% of the time, you still stick around each other. It takes a lot for two people to fight and still be able to be side by side."

"I don't know about that," Arthur fought with people all the time, but there wasn't many that he couldn't stand. It was more like Arthur was stuck with Alfred for the time being, but one could take it that way. Not that he particularly minded of course. "You and Yong Soo seem to be close though."

Kaoru waved a hand absentmindedly. "I've only met the guy recently. We only have common ground, that's all. Other than that, he's practically a stranger to me." He suddenly stopped, with Arthur almost bumping into him. Over his shoulder, Arthur could see a small odd building. It wasn't particularly big, but what surprised Arthur the most was its design- it was bright red striped with white, unnatural on the snow white cobblestone underneath it, with the roof being triangular. The two columns on either side of the double door had what looked like a striped upside down top on top of it, the one on the left being green with white strips, the other blue.

"Welcome to the Nievan embassy," Kaoru said. "Be lucky that the Nievan emperor isn't here now, otherwise, you'd be dead by now," he turned back to Arthur. "I wish you luck."

Arthur stepped forward and looked around, feeling a bit put out with the surreal silence. "Do you know if-?" he turned back, only to find that Kaoru was now gone.

_Yong Soo wasn't joking when he said that Kaoru was good at hiding. _He thought, turning back to the empty clearing. _Here it goes. _ Arthur took in a deep breath. _Time to see if Peter is here or not…_

_Although for the sake of all of us, I hope he isn't._

* * *

><p><em>Short is short, I felt like I should end it here. Next update will come sometime in the future, but probably not until I update Tomato Poetry and finish that game I'm making in VX Ace. Hope that you'll stick around 'til then!<em>


	9. Things that Only Happen in Movies

"_Our lives are lived through two things: destiny… and luck."_

Alfred sat down in the middle of the courtyard, the excited teen on the other side of him.

_You know,_ he thought as the Etan prince was staring at him fixatedly. _I didn't think my return to Memoria would be _this _eventful._ "Ok… so, uh…" Alfred scratched his head, unsure of what to say. "I'm, uh, busting you out."

"Yup!" Yong Soo looked ready to burst with excitement. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for this!"

"Yeah, well…" As much as he liked being thanked, Alfred preferred to receive gratitude for doing something legal. "You do realize that they'll just find you and bring you guys back here once they do."

Yong Soo scoffed. "I don't care if they cage me down afterwards; I need an escape, and I'm taking it. You know, I don't even know why we had to rebel against Aeturnus in the first place. Things were perfectly happy back then, but then our clan just had to up and go revolt," he sighed. "It's obvious aniki is still sore about it. I was never that close to him, but you could tell that he thought a lot of Kiku even if he didn't really think the same. He doesn't show it much, but that bitterness is definitely there."

_Now that's just eerily uncanny…_ Alfred bit his lip, noting the remarkable resemblance between the Etan emperor's past with his own. "Uh, right…" he mumbled, wishing his thoughts would just go away already. "So about that escape..."

"What about it?" Even Yong Soo seemed to be glad of the change of subject.

"Well, you've been here for a while now," Alfred tried to think of all the possibilities of escape. "Do you know anywhere where one could possibly escape?"

The other frowned. "Loads, but they're all guarded. For a country smaller than Nievus, you guys sure have a lot of people," his tone was slightly wistful. "Anyways, the best place to escape would be at the Nievan embassy. That place has the least amount of guards… actually, they only have guards that the Nievans brought with them."

"I wonder why…" Even though Arthur had said that the Nievan guards were the best, were they really that good? "I suppose that makes it easier for us… or harder, depending on how good they are. Anything else?"

"There are guards stationed at the outer walls, but I wouldn't worry too much about them. They're too busy focusing on the Nex to worry about anything else. As long as we don't distract them, I bet we can sneak through them easily," Alfred felt a sting at how Yong Soo obviously didn't think much of their military.

"Ok, so we have an idea of how to escape," Even if it will probably fail later. He looked the younger teen over. "We'll have to do something about your clothes though. If you haven't noticed, those aren't standard Memorian attire."

Yong Soo waved a hand. "Kaoru and I got that part figured out. We really just need help with an escape route. So," Yong Soo stood up. "Shall we go to the Nievan embassy?"

'

Alfred looked up at the queer building. The Nievan embassy was eerily quiet, with no sign of Kaoru or Arthur anywhere.

"Where are they?" Yong Soo shrugged at his question.

"Probably in the Nievan embassy," he didn't seem to care much for what Arthur did. "As for Kaoru, probably hiding somewhere keeping watch. Come on," he started to walk ahead of Alfred. "Let's go behind the building. I never looked through here much since it's the Nievan embassy, but I think it's okay to now."

"Alright." They walked over to the back of the building. A wall that was only a few feet higher than him went around the wall, bushes laying in rows at its feet. Paned windows of an unusual size were spaced around the back of the building, although one of the windows was open on the far side away from them. He wondered if they could be heard through the window, hoping with all his heart that Arthur and the Nievan guards were not on the other side.

"Do you think there's a hole or something that we could crawl out from?" Yong Soo asked distractedly, actually looking for a hole in the wall.

"Nah, those kinds of stuff only happen in the movies," Despite saying that, Alfred was looking around for such a hole himself. "Although it's not unheard of… At the very least, we should go look around for the place where the wall is weakest so that we can make an escape or so. You go look at that side," he pointed to the side farthest away from him. "And I'll look around here. With any luck, one of us could prove me wrong about that hole."

"Got it," Yong Soo walked away, inspecting the wall when he was a considerable distance away as Alfred started to look around as well. He stepped over the bush and crouched down, looking around for any old, chipped away parts of the wall. After a while, he paused, frowning at the dirt clinging onto his hands.

_Ahhh…_ He wiped his hands together in an attempt to clean himself up. _I know walls are pretty strong, but this one's old; can't it have at least _one_ weak spot?_

"….should sit down Arthur," Alfred froze as he heard the sound of steps behind him. A door closed. "Normally we wouldn't allow this, but since it's you…"

He looked behind him and found that he was right in front of the open window. He couldn't see much, but he knew that Arthur was in the room if his name had been said. Both fear and excitement coursed through him as he realized that he could listen in on Arthur.

_You shouldn't do this._ Alfred bit his lip as a little voice nagged in his head. _What kind of a person are you, eavesdropping on people? Sure you want to know what Arthur's up to, but don't you think that this is too much? You already tried to follow him once; why can't you just trust him now?_

_But he doesn't want to tell you…._

Alfred bit his lip even harder as a small argument played out on his mind. _It's true that eavesdropping isn't something a hero should do, but there's a good chance Arthur might reveal something that I want to know. After all, he was looking for these people, so he probably has something to ask of them… Something that might give me a little more insight of what's going on…_ He knew that it was risky to be hiding in plain sight, but…

_I promised to help him. _He crouched down even further. _And I can't do that if I don't know what's going on._ He placed his hand behind his ear and cupped it, hoping to pick up any useful snippets of conversation.

"Anything else you'd like…?" The voice spoke with a light tone that contained a slight Domunian accent. "We don't have much since you came at such a short notice, but…"

"I'm fine for now," Arthur's voice was calm and composed, a stark contrast with how tense he had been a while ago. "As glad as I am that you are here, where is the Nievan emperor? Isn't it your job to guard him?"

"He's a' 'he castle," Another man spoke up, his deep voice holding an accent Alfred couldn't immediately identify. "He an' Toris wan'ed 'o talk to the kin' for somethin'."

"You should be glad, though, that he isn't here," scolded the lighter voice. "_Very_ glad. I doubt you want to see what he is capable of. On that note, you shouldn't have snuck in here Arthur," his voice suddenly became serious. "Don't you realize the risk you're taking by meeting us? As lucky as you were in avoiding our emperor, you really pushed it this time; if we hadn't recognized you, we would have killed you on sight."

"I know, but I had to see you two as soon as I could, and this was the only way I could speak to you both in privacy. Trust me, it's for a good reason."

"I figured. You don't strike me as the type to act without reason," there was shuffling on the other side. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Is i' abou' Pe'er?" Inquired the deeper voice.

There was a pause. "Yes." Arthur finally answered. "It is about Peter. How is he? Ever since I had your parents take care of him, I haven't seen him since."

"He's fine," the other sounded confused and a bit sad. "Although for the last five years, Berwald and I have been the ones taking care of him now. My parents were already passed their prime when Peter was taken in our family. Five years ago, their age caught up with them."

"I'm sorry," Arthur seemed genuinely sympathetic. "Both of you are already at such a young age to be a part of the Nievan royal military, but to be also taking care of a child…"

"It's alright," Alfred could imagine the Domunian man shake his head. "Although it's a regrettable event, it is all in the past now. The time for grieving has already gone, and now is the time to focus on the present. As for taking care of a child, I never would have done it without Berwald's help."

"An' Pe'er's a nice child," What Alfred presumed to be Berwald spoke with a kind tone on his gruff voice. "En'husias'ic an' energe'ic, al'hough Tino has star'ed to rub off on 'im. He's a lo' calmer now 'han he used 'o be."

"That's good," Arthur had a warm tone in his voice, the same voice he used towards Alfred when he was younger. "I really appreciate that you two are taking care of my little brother. I know that I am asking too much of you, but there's a reason that I cannot take care of him."

"You never did say why you needed for us to take care of him," Tino's voice was soft. "I won't ask, but I hope that whatever's preventing you from taking care of Peter clears up. As much as I love him, he deserves to be with his older brother."

"That may not be for a while now," Alfred had to strain to hear Arthur. Arthur cleared his throat, his voice louder this time. "Anyways, you two didn't happen to bring him here, did you?"

"Just what do you take us for?" Tino exclaimed with indignation. "Bring precious Peter here with the Nex running amok? We weren't admitted in the Royal Military running on _that_ kind of logic."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Arthur sighed. "He just can't be here. For the sake of us all, Peter must _never _be in Memoria."

"Don' worry," Much to Alfred's chagrin, Berwald didn't question Arthur as to why Peter could not be in Memoria. "We lef' 'im with friends. 'e is safe in Nievus."

Alfred heard Arthur exhale in relief. "Good, it should stay that way," clattering was heard on the other side. "Well, my business here is done. Thank you for hearing me out, Tino, Berwald," Alfred could imagine Arthur making mini bows at the other two. "I'll be on my way now," for some reason, Alfred could hear Arthur's footsteps loud and clear. "And as for you Alfred, I'll talk to you when we return home."

He froze and looked up, a deceivingly tranquil yet clearly angered Arthur leaning out the window in front of him. "Did you hear enough or do you plan to continue to sit here like a duck?"

"Uhh…" Alfred glanced to where Yong Soo was. The boy seemed to have realized that Alfred had been caught and quickly used sign language to say 'Found a place. We can do things on our own now. Good luck'. He disappeared into the bushes after that quick message. Alfred looked back at Arthur, hoping he didn't give the other's position away and that he could talk himself out. "Maybe? Honestly Arthur, can you blame me for eavesdropping when you don't tell me anything?"

Arthur sighed. "I don't tell you because you don't need to know."

"But Arthu-"

"Who i' 'e?" Berwald walked towards the window and fixed Alfred with a glare. "From 'is clothes, 'e looks like he's from 'he mili'ary."

"I figured you knew who he was since you didn't seem to mind him listening in so we didn't do anything, but…" Tino moved next to where Berwald was, only looking curious. "I would like to know who he is as well. If he is from the military, then maybe we can report him."

"He's just a young man who doesn't know his place," Arthur all but snarled. "You don't need to report him. He's not a threat, so why waste your energy?" Alfred gave him a dirty look, which he ignored. "Don't worry; I'll be the one dealing with him when I go back."

Tino shrugged as he walked back. "Alright. Personally, I could care less for what happens to the military here, but if a family friend says so, I won't do anything. So how do you know him?" Alfred heard a plop as Tino sat back down. "Didn't you say that you hated the military?"

"I never said it in that way," Arthur insisted. "I only said that it would be nice if they kept their nose out of our business," he not-so-subtly looked at Alfred. "And now you see why."

"I'm sure tha' 'e means well," Berwald retreated back into the room as well. "He seems 'ike a good fellow. 'e sort o' reminds me of Pe'e-"

"AHH!" A crash was heard on the other side. Alfred stood up and looked into the room from the window. The room was a small one, with beds on Alfred's right and a closet on his left. The closet door was open, with a little boy in blue sprawled out in front of it. The boy wore a cobalt blue waistcoat over a white shirt, with darker blue trousers and floppy hat to go with it. When the boy got up, Alfred found himself staring at sea green eyes, but what surprised him most was the (albeit thinner) thick eyebrows that bore a close resemblance to-

"Ahhh…" the boy rubbed the back of his head as he stood up. "I got caught…" he looked at the stunned faces of the adults. "Err…"

"What are you doing here?" Berwald stood up and looked down menacingly at the child, although upon closer inspection, he merely looked panicked. Panicked enough to be able to enunciate his words. "You're supposed to be with Matthias and the others!"

"I wanted to come with you guys…" the boy shrank back and looked at Tino, who looked both enraged and shocked. "I'm in trouble isn't he?"

"Yes," Tino was breathing in and out slowly. "Yes Peter, you are."

Alfred looked at Arthur who had frozen over. Finally, he turned mechanically to the young boy, his voice coming out small. "Peter?"

* * *

><p><em>Short is short. I'll explain how Peter arrived here next chapter. Anyways, thanks for reading!<em>

_**Edit:** I. Cannot. Do. Berwald's. Accent. Changed it to something more natural, although I still can't do it right.  
><em>


	10. Welcome

"_In stories, the plot unravels over time; if it doesn't do that, then it's not a plot."_

Alfred sat in the dining room, idly playing with the charred bits that were his dinner. He looked up at Arthur, who seemed more dazed than normal. He didn't even notice Alfred staring at him, something he usually minded.

"Arthur," The other only partly snapped out of his daze to look slowly up at Alfred. "Will you _please_ tell me what's going on? You haven't spoken since we left the Royal District."

Arthur waved his fork absent-mindedly. "I'm still trying to figure out how my little brother managed to sneak in Memoria from Nievus. It's virtually unheard of."

"I don't know, I did almost the same thing," Alfred shrugged. "And I had Matthew with me that time too. It was a shorter distance, sure, but it's not that unheard of for a child managing to travel long distances by themselves. Plus, didn't he say that he hitched a few rides on the way here?"

"I know, but…" Arthur bit his lip, not continuing his hanging statement.

"What are you worrying about? Tino and Berwald said that they'll take care of him while they're here. They even said that they'll make sure that he doesn't leave the Royal District, and they sounded serious about it too."

"That's not what I'm worried about. It's just…" Both of them sighed at the same time, causing Arthur to look up in surprise.

"Now what can possibly make you sigh?"

"You," Arthur quirked an eyebrow at Alfred's response. "Ever since I got here, you've been treating me as more or less as a thorn on your side. Would it _really_ kill you not to tell me what's going on?"

"I already told you all you need to know," Arthur continued to eat, talking in between bites. "Right now, you know as much as the other members, so I don't see what's the problem."

"If I know as much as the other members, then why don't you make me a part of this whole thing?" Alfred took a bite of his food and tried to ignore the acrid taste. "I mean, I'm basically a member in everything but spirit, so…"

"Alfred," Arthur set his fork down. "Why are you so interested in my affairs? It's none of your business, so I don't see why you want to be involved."

"Don't you remember? I make others' business my business," Alfred set his utensils down and interlocked his hands, setting his chin on top of them. "_Especially_ if it's the business of a person I care about."

"Exactly why I _don't _want you involved," Arthur's voice took on a thoughtful tone. "Truthfully, given how much you've helped me so far, I _was_ thinking of having you join me-"

"_What? !"_

"-but seeing as how Peter's here, I don't think I can."

Alfred just gaped at him. "…Explain," he finally said. "Explain now why Peter is so important in all this."

"I'm afraid that I can't tell you that," Arthur stood up, his empty plate in his hands. "I'll be retiring for the night early," he looked back at Alfred. "Don't do anything too reckless."

"Arthur, when have I ever been reckless?" Alfred didn't wait for his answer. "But it would help if you elaborated a little."

"Lie low for a while," Arthur advised. "We-"

"I." Alfred said firmly. Arthur just looked at him.

"_You_ then, helped two princes escape from the Royal District… Or at the very least, helped them find a way to escape," Arthur walked towards the kitchen, talking without looking at Alfred. "Once the news break out that they've escaped, it'd be best if you just go about your business and don't do anything that gives off the _least_ bit of suspicion."

Alfred stood up with his half-eaten plate and followed him quickly into the kitchen. "That'll be easy; I don't do anything suspicious at all."

"Oh really?" Arthur placed his plate on the sink and started to wash them, folding up his sleeves as he talked. "You tailed me at least twice shortly after you arrived here; you unexpectedly changed your position to get closer to the rulers when they first came; you inexplicably met with one of said rulers and snuck into the Royal District; and finally, you gave two princes a way to escape the Royal District," he stopped washing to look at him. "There's absolutely nothing suspicious about that, now is there?"

Alfred threw away his food and dumped his plates in the sink. "I had to do all that because you refused to tell me what you've been doing! You've only told me the most smallest of details, and while they do help a little, are borderline pointless!"

"Al," Alfred tensed at the nickname, knowing that Arthur was only using it to soften whatever he was going to say next. "Will you just stop already? I don't tell you these things to keep you safe, and I prefer to keep it that way."

"Well I don't."

Neither of them spoke after that short exchange. After a while, Alfred left for bed.

'''''''

Arthur opened the door by a crack, the light from the hallway seeping into the otherwise dark room. On the far end of the room was Alfred sleeping soundly on his bed. From what Arthur could see, Alfred had been tossing and turning in his sleep, the bed in complete disarray. His glasses had slipped off his face; he looked much younger without them, sending a pang through Arthur as he remembered the time when he was young. Arthur closed the door as quietly as he could and walked back to the entrance of the house.

_I wonder if I'm making the right decision?_ Arthur slipped on his overcoat and night gloves. He walked out of the house, locking the door behind him. _ Alfred has been admittedly helpful, and despite his flaws, he's trustworthy… Surely I can tell him just a little more… _Peter came into his mind. _But with Peter here, I don't think I can risk it. With that added knowledge, he'll want to help me more, putting him more in danger._

He started walking towards the _La Tomate Inn, _his mind now on other things_._ _This is bad… I've managed to keep him off of Peter's trail so far, but he's getting closer… How else could he have known that Peter was in Nievus?_

Arthur sighed as the _La Tomate_ Inn came to view. _I have to tell the others. Unlike Alfred, they have a good idea of what's going on and they aren't so careless in their actions._ Still, he couldn't help but feel as if Alfred should be there with him. _I wonder what life would be like without the Nex… _He thought._ Maybe we could have had a normal relationship…_

_ But then again, I wouldn't have met Alfred if the Nex didn't exist._

He pushed open the doors, a bit disturbed with where his thought process was going. He walked past the masses of people still there and walked towards the kitchen.

"Arthur!" Arthur turned towards the familiar voice as he stopped next to the counter. Feliciano walked towards him, a platter on his hands. "Are you here to see Antonio? He's upstairs with Gilbert at room 8. Ludwig's helping me and _fratello (brother)_ out, so you don't need to worry about him," he added, knowing that Arthur was about to ask where Ludwig was.

_Well that was quick. _"Thank you Feliciano," Feliciano smiled at him before returning to work. Arthur climbed up the stairs onto the second floor. The hallway was a dark brown color, a dark red rug with green designs lining the floor. Oil lamps were in between the doors, their light giving the hallway a somewhat homelike feel. The doors themselves were made with wood of a lighter color, a golden knob fixated on it. The number of the room was written in gold script on the upper part of the door.

Arthur kept walking until he was in front of the door marked '8', which was unfortunately locked. He lifted up a fist to knock on the door, but was interrupted by the conversation on the other side.

"Is that why you don't want to see him Gilbert…?"

"_Ja,_" Arthur could hear his distaste from where he was. "It's bad enough that I have to put up with him back at Nievus, but here too…?" There was a noise in the other side. "Thanks for checking up on me, although it's really just nothing."

"_No hay problema, mi amigo (No problem, my friend)," _Antonio's cheery voice was also kind. "And don't shake it off just like that. I don't know him as well as Feli does, but I can tell that when Ludwig gets that worried, it's not a good thing."

"He worries too much for his own good." A light-hearted chuckle was heard. "It's good that he has someone like Feliciano to cheer him up."

"Feli does that to a lot of people," the door opened, although Antonio was still turned to Gilbert as he opened it. "At any rate, you really should-"

"Hey, you're that eyebrows guy!" Gilbert exclaimed when he saw Arthur.

"Kirkland!" Antonio turned to him, noticing that he was there. "Err, sorry for that," he said, probably seeing the mild irritation on Arthur's face. "Do you need something? I was just checking up on Gilbert here since his brother was worrying about him."

"Honestly, it's nothing," Gilbert made his way through Antonio and out into the hallway. "I'll leave you two alone. Something tells me you want to talk to him too, and I have to go check on Ludwig anyways," he started walking down the hall. "See ya."

"So what do you need?" Antonio asked once Gilbert was gone. "Even though you normally come here at night, isn't this late even by your standards?"

"I had to wait until Alfred was sound asleep," Arthur said bluntly. "I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late time, but I need your telephone."

Antonio looked confused. "Who are you going to call this late at night?"

"Bonnefoy." The confusion cleared up a bit in Antonio's expression. "There's something I need to tell him."

Antonio nodded and didn't question him further. He seemed to have wanted to inquire Arthur on the subject, but had decided against it. "Alright… but don't you have a telephone in your house as well? Why don't you use that?"

"I can't risk Alfred overhearing any of the conversation." Antonio frowned.

"Kirkland, I really think that you should tell that boy what's going on already," Arthur sent him a glare. The other shrugged. "Fine, fine. At the very least, you should bring him into our group; he's practically a part of it after all."

"I know that, but…" Arthur sighed. He did _not_ need this argument this late at night. "Anyways, I need your telephone."

"Only if you'll say that you'll let that lad join our group."

"Carriedo, I really think that-" Antonio cut him off.

"If you don't, then I will," he shrugged. "I can't keep my mouth shut, remember?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You may be my third-in-command, but even you don't know everything."

"Tell me, how do you solve a puzzle? You piece it all together of course," Antonio smiled, his eyes glittering with confidence. "So what will you do?"

Arthur scratched his head. _Guess I have no choice…_ "I'm getting too old for this… Fine, I'll think about it."

"Good." Arthur regretted making that promise; he knew Antonio enough to know that once he promised something, he went through with it. More than once Lovino pointed out that it was sometimes pointedly stupid for him to do so, but that was what made Arthur trust Antonio so much. _Seems like he managed to use that to his advantage…_ He held back a sigh. _Nowadays, it seems like everything's breaking out of its pattern._

"Kirkland?" Arthur looked up as Antonio cleared his throat. "You still need that telephone, right? Yes? Alright, it's just right over here…"

'''''''''

Arthur closed the door and hung his overcoat on the coat rack right next to him. Years of going out at night had caused him to be borderline nocturnal, and he could count the number of nights he had a full night's sleep in two hands. At the moment though, he could really go for a cup of tea and a few hours of sleep.

"Haven't had a day like this in a while," Arthur thought out loud as he walked to his room. Sleep started to blur his senses, and he felt as if he would fall any second now. _I wish I could believe that I won't have days as eventful as today, but even I know that that would be a lie. _

He didn't know when, but he managed to reach his bedroom door. "But then again, the Nex has been quiet for a while, so I suppose that's a good thing… But that's worrying in its own right…"

"So are most of the things you do."

Arthur turned around to see Alfred standing a few feet away in the hallway. He was leaning onto his bedroom door, his clothes haphazardly put on; all he had on was a white dress shirt half-buttoned and trousers. He now had his glasses on his face, giving him a much more mature appearance. He looked at Arthur with cold sky blue eyes, the warmth that was normally there gone.

"I don't need to ask where you've gone, do I?" Alfred got off the wall and walked towards him. "I doubt you would have answered in the first place."

"I took a quick walk to the _La Tomate Inn,_" Arthur figured that he might as well tell him the truth. After all, he did give his word to Antonio that he would trust Alfred more, so why not start now?

Alfred quirked an eyebrow. "Care to tell me any more?"

_Let that lad join our group._

Antonio's words floated into Arthur's head as Alfred waited for his response. "I needed to borrow his telephone. Before you ask why I didn't use the one here," he added when he saw Alfred open his mouth. "I think you can think up the reason for that one without me telling you."

Displeasure showed clearly on the other's face. "Arthur, I think it goes without saying that you should _really_ stop keeping stuff from me."

"It's a force of habit," Arthur shrugged. "Although as of late, I've been told to break out of that habit."

"No kidding," Alfred chuckled humorlessly. "But you make it sound like someone else has been telling you that too."

"That's because others have been," Arthur took in a breath. "The Nex has been concerning me for years, even more than they have actually been active."

"Huh?" He stopped where he was, which was only a few feet away from where Arthur was. "Where did that come from?"

Arthur ignored the question. "If I could, I would have taken action many years ago, but there's only so much you can do when you're a minor. At least now, I have a chance to make things right."

"Make things right?" Alfred seemed lost on what Arthur was talking about. _He should be, _Arthur thought. _I may have promised Carriedo that I would tell him more about this whole thing, but I never did promise him that I had to tell it in a way that made immediate sense._

"Why else do you think I would go to such lengths for something that would normally be out of my control? Like you, I have something personal against the Nex as well."

"Which is?"

Arthur chuckled. "That will have to wait; I've been working by myself for more years than I have been leading our group, so I suppose that's why I'm not used to sharing information. Even now, I don't trust my group as much as I should."

"What does that have to do with anythi-?"

"Of all the people involved, you're probably the person I trust the most." Arthur's eyes started to close, but he tried to fight the oncoming sleep. _Even if he doesn't understand what I'm saying now, he'll have all the pieces needed to complete his puzzle eventually._ "You may not know as much as others concerning this whole situation, but I have no doubt in my mind that you'll piece everything together eventually… Although I suppose it'll be easier for you to now."

"Arthur?" Alfred walked closer as Arthur started to wobble. "Just what are you trying to say?"

"Welcome to Veritas, Alfred." Arthur's voice was bitter as he spoke. "I hope you're happy now."

"Arthur!" Sleep crashed into him as something caught him from falling. Arthur recalled one thought before he fell asleep:

_I hope this is the right choice._

_Meanwhile…_

"Excuse me."

Kiku turned to see one of Yao's guards standing behind him. For some reason, Kiku had woken up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep; he had opted for a walk around the embassies, which was why he was at the clearing this late at night. "Yes, what is it?"

"It seems that both young masters are missing."

Kiku raised an eyebrow. "Pardon my disrespect, but that is hardly news at all. Those two are always hiding somewhere around the Royal District."

"That is the problem; they're not this time."

Kiku stared at the guard in silence, the gears in his mind turning. "…You are dismissed."

The guard dipped his head and left as Kiku turned back towards the path back to the Etan embassy. _I knew I shouldn't have trusted those two._ He thought to himself. _I should go wake up Sadik and Heracles; it seems that they have to find our wayward heirs. As for those two…_ He thought, remembering the two Memorians he had allowed inside the embassy.

_ I'll have to deal with them myself._

* * *

><p><em>Merry Christmas everyone! For Christmas, I'll be uploading each of my stories and 2 one-shots I created for this occasion (which was why I didn't upload at all this month; I've been saving all my updates for this day)<em>

_Please correct the Spanish if it's wrong. (Also, this is the point of the story where more traditional Steampunk characteristics will show. Warning: I know nothing of mechanics and engineering, and while I will attempt to research it, I probably will not understand it. Therefore, if I make anything up or make engineers and/or technicians cry, you have been warned. By the way, I'm not going to lie; I'll be using media such as _Treasure Planet _as a reference.)_


	11. What We Hide

_"Mankind is built for secrets, for even their soul is hidden behind a vessel of flesh."_

Steam rolled off in clouds from the propellers at both sides of the ship. A faint hum vibrated from inside the hull of the wooden vessel, the sound unusually muffled. A man stood behind the bowsprit, his red coat billowing in the wind.

_Soon._

That one word, that one word that could drive people mad, was this man's mantra. A feral grin was plastered on his face.

_Soon._

The ship hummed, black fog flowing into the already gray sky. To those down below, it was like it wasn't even there.

''''''''

Alfred twiddled his fingers, his eyes turned to window at the side of the room.

_I hate this city._ The city, which lived and breathed black and gray, suffocated Alfred. Like a bird trapped in a cage, Alfred felt grounded to where he was by the smog, the open bars taunting him with the view of the unbridled sky. And yet, he made no move to leave, for the bird wasn't the only one trapped in the murky cage.

_"Veritas"..._ The word 'truth' rang into Alfred's head, but he didn't know what importance the word contained. _Now what could possibly be the reason for Arthur to name his group that...? _ He absentmindedly rubbed his left thumb with his right. _ Speaking of Arthur…_

Alfred felt ready to explode. News ran through the city stating that the Etan and Aetian heirs were missing. Action was immediately taken and almost all military forces stationed near and in Memoria had been stalled in favor of finding them. This had prompted Arthur to tell Alfred that now was his time to lay low and stay in the house for a while to keep out of sight, since the only orders given to their unit was just "find them if you can". Those orders that contained an obvious lack of faith in their unit made Alfred's skin crawl, but this time, the lack of respect others had for their unit was to his favor. That wasn't the only advice Arthur had given him; he had said that even though he was now a part of their group, it would be best if he not participate until the princes were found and suspicions were cleared.

Words could not describe how Alfred felt at that.

_I don't get it! He's in as much danger as I am! Why can't I go outside?!_ Kiku would no doubt associate Arthur in the princes' escape and therefore the other had as much of a possibility as Alfred had of facing the foreign monarch's wrath. _So what if I'm in the military?! Okay, _maybe_ that makes me a bit more noticeable, but it's not like I have to wear my uniform all the time!_

An idea formed in Alfred's head. _Wow, aren't I stupid for not thinking of that earlier._ He stood off the chair and headed for his drawer. Excitement spread throughout his body at the prospect of finally being able to do something. _Arthur said that it would be easier for me to gather information now…_

_Let's put that to the test._

''''''

Alfred walked through the crowd, whistling a nonsensical tune as he walked on. He had opted to take a different route to the _La Tomate _Inn, one of which passed through the Commercial District. The normally bustling crowd carried a small aura of unsettlement; it seems that with the princes missing, Memoria no longer felt safe to them. Alfred was left to wonder why they didn't develop that mindset years ago when the Nex first appeared.

He sighed. Without the bulk of his bomber jacket, Alfred felt as if he wasn't himself. Somehow, it felt like that bomber jacket defined him, despite it only being an article of clothing. It was like a symbol of what he wanted to be: someone strong enough to protect others… a hero. Instead, Alfred had decided to wear a dark brown waistcoat over a striped, long-sleeved shirt, clothes different from the uniform he wore most of the time. He wore coal black trousers with dark shoes, making it harder for his clothes to be dirty. He had combed his hair so that it faced more to the right, but there was nothing he could do for the piece of hair that always stuck up. Even though his appearance hardly changed, it was enough that one couldn't tell him apart from afar. He was ordinary.

_Huh. Who would've thought that some time ago, there was a robbery here…_ Memories floated across his mind of that day as he walked through the center of the Commercial District. _Honestly, if Arthur has done things like that before, who knows what other things he had to do to go against the Nex…_

Alfred took in a sharp breath. The thought of Arthur performing criminal activity… even though the chances of that were likely, Alfred had a hard time believing it. _Why… why does he have to do any of that?_ _Just what score does he have to settle with the Nex? _Anger, mixed with desperation, bubbled inside him.

_ Why won't he tell me?_

From the start, that question haunted Alfred. Finding the answer was as agonizing as grabbing sand; you could only grasp a little at a time, while most of them slipped through your fingers. _Arthur…_

'

_ "Alfred…"_

_ "What is it Matthew?"_

_ "Are you sure about this…? He'll feel devastated, he'll feel-!"_

_ "I know, I… t-this is the only way! Arthur won't let me be an aviator while he's in charge of me, so I…"_

_ "I…"_

_ "Alfred…" the other boy came to comfort the quivering boy, even though it was normally the older brother's job to do that. Sometimes, Alfred thought, Matthew made a better big brother than him. "We don't have to do this. We can just stay here."_

_ "I can't," Alfred gently pushed the other away, the push strong enough to get himself out of his grip. "I feel like I should do this. There's a reason the sky calls to me, and I really believe that I belong up there with them."_

_ "There are other ways you could-"_

_ "Matthew, I told you why I wanted to do this before; I don't want to repeat myself again. Something's telling me that I should do this, and anyways… maybe I can protect Arthur this way."_

_ "What does Arthur need protecting from? The Nex? They may be attacking others, but Memoria's the capital. There's more than enough protection here."_

_ "No, that's not it! Arthur, he… I don't know why, but he isn't like the others when it comes to the Nex. I, I don't know what's on his mind, but it's obvious that the Nex is something he's really worrying about."_

_ "It's worrying a lot of people! Al, you don't have to do this!"_

_ "You're coming too, so why aren't you trying to stay behind?"_

_ "Al, even you know that he's more attached to you than he is to me. He'll understand why I want to go, but you… you're a whole different story."_

_ "So is he. Look, I really think I can help him this way… even with all the pain this could bring."_

_ "He's older than us, he doesn't need our aid."_

_ "Everyone needs help; he came to ours, and I plan to return the favor."_

'

"…fred."

Alfred whipped his head up to see Gilbert standing over him, several small bags in his hands. The other wore a dark blue single-breasted frock coat over dark trousers and shoes, the coat opened to reveal a blue pinstriped shirt.

"'Bout time you looked up! I've been calling your name for who knows how long!" He grinned. "Hey, do you mind helping me a little with this stuff? I can handle it, but hey, you're here doing nothing and spacing out in the middle of a crowd, so why not?"

"Uh… alright," Alfred accepted half of the other's load. They started to walk back towards the inn. "What are these anyways?"

"Some groceries, some stuff Arthur asked me to get," He seemed to have noticed Alfred's reaction to that. "What's wrong?"

"I… it's nothing." Even an idiot could notice how much Alfred struggled to get those words out. Gilbert sighed.

"You have some issues when it comes to that eyebrows guy, you know," he said, a small smile on his face. "Honestly, how long have you known the guy anyways?"

Alfred's eyes became downcast. Arthur was a sensitive topic to him in its own right, but their past? "I met him when I was 11 and stayed with him until I was 13, but…" He paused, unsure of what to say next.

"I assume you left?" Gilbert was unusually sympathetic, an oddly soft look in his red eyes. Alfred bit his lip.

"For 6 years. I don't think he took it very well…" Alfred chuckled humorlessly. "He hasn't changed much actually since I left. Not in the slightest. And yet…" he looked back up. "It's almost like he's a new person."

"Distance can do that to a person. Spend enough time away from someone, and you suddenly notice things about them that you never knew before." Even though the words could easily apply to Alfred, he felt as if Gilbert was talking about himself. Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like you've got a story going on there with your life." Gilbert laughed.

"_I'm_ the one who's questioning you, not the other way around," he was smiling, but it was empty. "Let's just say that… I was friends with this guy and that certain circumstances caused me separate from him. I mean, I didn't really have that much time to spend with him in the first place, but after something happened, I couldn't spend time with him at all."

"After a long while, when I met him again… he wasn't the same. Not by a long shot. I can't stand being around him anymore." He chuckled, although Alfred could see the sadness behind his eyes. "Doesn't help that we somehow ended up in the same city."

"How do you know that? Memoria's pretty big," Truthfully, Alfred was curious about Gilbert's life. He had entered their lives with no warning whatsoever, and Alfred had to admit that he knew next to nothing about him. Gilbert crinkled his nose.

"Trust me, I know. Back to the original topic…" Gilbert bumped Alfred lightly. "Go on with your story kid; you're not the only one interested in other people's pasts."

Alfred hadn't notice, but the crowd had thinned so that Alfred didn't have to stick so close to Gilbert anymore. They were getting closer to the Rural District; even though the Commercial and Rural Districts looked somewhat similar, the Rural District was more spaced out than the Commercial District, so it was easy to tell which from which. Alfred let out a hesitant breath.

"Honestly, it's not even that interesting in the first place…" Gilbert's expression told Alfred that he couldn't talk his way out of it. He sighed. "Look, does it matter what my past is like? I just want to help Arthur, and I can't do that without knowing _his_ past."

"You'd be surprised what your past can hold. You're close to that Arthur guy, right? Maybe revisiting the olden days is what you need…" Gilbert shrugged. "But if you really want to know more about Arthur, you should go ask Antonio, the Vargases, or Lizzy. Those Vargas brothers told me that 5 years ago, the Nex had attacked their city and almost took them away. I don't know all the details, but somehow Arthur managed to save them. Antonio and Elizabeta were there at the time and both are close to both Vargases, so when they heard that Arthur wanted to get back at the Nex, they immediately agreed to help."

Alfred creased his eyebrows. "Alright, but how does that he-?"

"They _also_ let slip that they were one of the first members of Veritas, so that means that they've known Arthur ever since he started their little group," Gilbert started to walk faster, causing Alfred to also increase his pace. "I don't know if that benefits you that much, but it's a start."

"It does… thanks." _If I have to start somewhere, then it'll have to be at the roots of the organization itself._

''''''

Gilbert and Alfred placed their stuff down on one of the tables of the inn. Not many stayed in the inn during the day, so other than Ludwig, Feliciano, and Lovino, there was no one else in the inn. Lovino and Feliciano were wearing their normal work clothes, while Ludwig wore a white dress shirt and tan trousers. All three were busy cleaning the tables, so neither of them had noticed Gilbert and Alfred come in.

"Where's Antonio?" Alfred asked. Out of the people Gilbert had suggested he ask, Antonio seemed to know the most out of them all. Lovino shrugged.

"He went down to the ports with Arthur. I doubt the Nex are there, so he probably needed to talk to him."

"Out in the open?" Gilbert frowned. "And here I thought the guy was smart…"

"You'd be surprised at how many hidden places there are at the ports. Most people are too busy looking at the sky ships to notice anything else, so it's not like anyone's paying attention to them." Feliciano walked toward the bags and picked some of them up. "I'll take these to the kitchen. Ludwig, do you mind taking the rest of these up to big brother Antonio's room? I don't think he wants other people to see them…"

"Alright." Ludwig walked over from where he was cleaning the counter to the bags and picked them up. He looked at Feliciano's pile, which was noticeably bigger. "Do you need help with that?"

Feliciano smiled. "No, but I appreciate your concern." They walked off, Lovino's scowled expression unnoticed.

"Honestly," Lovino said once they were gone. "Ever since he came here, it's like he can't keep his hands off my brother. It's sickening."

"Calm down little one," Lovino glared at Gilbert for the nickname. "I think it's nice that he has someone to loosen him up; I haven't seen him this relaxed in ages! I'm not home for most of the time, so Ludwig had to take care of both our parents. It's a bit stressful, taking care of someone…"

"Well…" Lovino bit his lip. Some of the harshness he had seemed to have ebbed away. "Ahh, screw this."

"You are one overprotective brother, do you know that?" Alfred chuckled. Suddenly, he remembered what he came here to do. "Hey Lovino, do you mind if I talk to you for a while?'

The other instantly became irritated. "I have work to do, and-"

"I'll handle it for you," Gilbert glanced at Alfred. "Come on, a little break wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Lovino thought it over. He sighed. "All right, but it better be quick."

''''

Lovino tapped his foot, his arm crossed across his chest as he glared at Alfred. They were in the room Alfred had stayed in when he had passed out, although the place looked like no one was occupying it now. Alfred was sitting at the foot of the bed, looking up at Lovino.

"Er…" He really didn't know how he should ask for information. "Well, I heard from Gilbert that you guys were one of the first people that joined-"

"And?"

"Can you tell me… if you know anything about Arthur from that time?" Lovino looked at him oddly.

"Arthur?" He tilted his head. "Toni would know more than me. If you haven't noticed, Feliciano and I aren't exactly high up in his list of confidants. He doesn't trust Antonio much either, but as his third, he has to know something."

"Third? You mean third-in-command?"

"The very same one," Lovino plopped down beside him. "I don't know if I should tell you this since you're not officially with us-"

"I am."

Lovino shrugged. "Well, that makes it easier then, doesn't it? Anyways, if Arthur's the head, then Toni's the third. Elizabeta and Bonnefoy are the ones making sure we have the funds we need, but Bonnefoy's the second-in-command."

"Bonnefoy?" A familiar face appeared in his mind. "Francis?!"

"Yeah, that guy," Lovino looked unfazed. "He was the one who let us stay at his place after our city was attacked. You know Arthur, so you probably know him as well."

"Yeah I do." Alfred fidgeted; this wasn't much, but it was a start. _As soon as I can, I have to call Francis. _Thoughts of his brother, whom he hasn't seen for a while, came to him._ Good thing Mattie's with him; I can check up on him as well as find information._ "Anything else you know?"

Lovino bit the inside of his cheek. "It's best if you ask Toni or Francis. They know more than me."

"That may be, but I need as much information as I can." The other looked at him questioningly.

"Why don't you just ask Arthur? He knows the most- hell, he even knows the full story!"

Alfred shook his head. "He won't tell me anything. He insists on keeping things a secret, saying he needs to protect me or something."

"Sounds like a guardian talking to his ward," Lovino faltered hesitantly. "I've been meaning to ask, but… how do you even know Arthur? Sounds like you guys have some shared history…" Alfred sighed and leaned back.

"Why is everyone curious about my past? It's not that important…"

"Like how Ludwig and his brother burst into our lives, you did too. So spill."

Alfred bit his lip. With the information Lovino had given him, it was only fair that Alfred told him what he wanted to know as well. "When I was young, sky pirates ruined my and my brother's lives when they attacked our city. It wasn't pretty, and it caused me and my brother to have to go somewhere else. We traveled for a long time, not knowing where to go, until we hit Memoria. There, Arthur and Francis found us and took care of us for 2 years until…"

"Until what?" Lovino was as enraptured in Alfred's story as Gilbert was. Alfred's eyes turned to the ground.

"I left... Don't ask why, but I had to run away from him. He caught me trying to run away but I still managed to leave and…"

Alfred didn't say anything after that. Lovino had that soft look in his eyes. "But you came back." He became silent after that. "I don't know how Toni would react if I ever did what you did. When we were young, Feli would travel with Elizabeta and that aristocrat while I stayed behind at home. Toni would always ask me to visit his house at those times, so in a way, he sort of took care of me back then. He grew attached to me because of that, so I have no doubt that Arthur did for you too."

"Yeah, he… he didn't take to my leaving kindly. Still doesn't now…" Alfred took in a deep breath. "It's why I want to help him as much as he can…."

"I owe him."

They didn't say anything after that. Finally, Lovino broke the silence. "I'm not going to say I understand what you're talking about, but I can relate to some of it. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me, but really, there's only so much I know."

"It doesn't matter. As long as it helps me even by a little, it will be enough." Lovino chuckled.

"You are one determined person…" He said when he was done. "Well, I just told you how we're sort of ranked, so I might as well tell you the rest of what I know about our group."

"Elizabeta and Francis are like our informants. They're both rich and they travel all the time, so they can gather information about the Nex like that. Antonio gathers information sometimes through travelers, but he mostly helps out Arthur with who knows what. Feliciano and I do odd jobs here and there and we're basically the grunts of the group. The same applies for Ludwig and Gilbert, although I don't know what Arthur has them do…"

Something about that last statement struck Alfred as odd. "Wait… Arthur trusts them enough to actually have them do something?"

"You know as well as I do that Arthur's the type that knows what he's doing. He probably gave them a job that only they can do, but what it is, I don't know." Lovino shrugged. "Anyways, you should also know that-"

"Lovino Romano Vargas!"

Antonio burst into the room, walking forward until he was in front of Lovino. He was wearing a double breasted waistcoat over a red dress shirt, black trousers and dark shoes finishing the look. "What are you doing here?" He scolded. "I can't believe you let our guest work like that!"

"Idiot, he offered to do my work because_ this_ guy needed to ask me something!" Lovino stood up and fixed Antonio with an annoyed look. Antonio's mood changed in a flash; he looked at Alfred with narrowed eyes, a dangerous gleam glittering in its olive green depths.

"What question would that b-?"

"'Oh be quiet, it's nothing like that," Lovino smacked Antonio lightly on the shoulder. "Just some stuff he needed to clear up, although you'd be the better one to ask." Antonio tilted his head.

"What do you need to ask?"

"The usual," Alfred shrugged. For some reason, Antonio's quick change of mood didn't bother Alfred in the least. After all, he had more important things to be worried about. "I need to know more about Arthur, and I've heard that you might know something."

"First things first," Antonio held a hand to stop him. "Did Arthur _finally_ let you in our group? If he didn't, I swear I'll-"

"He did," Alfred looked at Antonio quizzically. "How did you know about that?" Antonio grinned.

"Who else would pester him to let you join? Wait first," he ushered Lovino outside, saying something to the other's ear before he left, presumably back to work. Antonio walked back to Alfred once Lovino left. "So what do you need to know? Kirkland doesn't tell me everything, but out of all of us, I feel as if you have the biggest right to know it all."

_Yes! Someone who's actually _willing _to tell me something!_ Being with Arthur constantly was something Alfred could live with, but not being told what he needed to know to help him because he was too stubborn to tell him… that was something Alfred couldn't live with. "Can you tell me, then, what you know about Arthur?"

"I don't know what Lovi told you, but you should really know that-"

"-it's none of your business."

Both of them turned to Arthur, who was leaning on the doorway. He was wearing a dark green single breasted overcoat with dark trousers and matching shoes. A top hat sat atop his head, covering his golden hair. He looked at Alfred passively, no hint of emotion in his eyes.

"Carriedo." His voice was deadpan. "May I speak to Alfred alone?"

"All right…" Antonio made a move to leave, but Arthur stopped him at the doorway.

"If this lad asks you anything… don't answer him." It wasn't an order, and yet it held the full brunt of one. Antonio met Arthur's eyes for a fragment of a second and then pushed off, not saying a word that acknowledged what Arthur had just said. Arthur closed the door and leaned back on it, crossing his arms as he looked at Alfred with an emotionless face.

Alfred glared at him. "Care to just stare at me or will you say something already?" Arthur let out a sigh.

"Al…" He looked wearily at him. It made him seem much older than he actually was. "Why… why won't you listen to me for once in your life? Do you know how much you're putting at risk by walking outside while the heirs are missing? They can easily connect their disappearance with you, and who knows what they'll do to you once you're proclaimed guilty…"

"What about you?" Alfred stood up. "You're in just as much danger as I am. They saw you too you know."

"I can handle myself." Arthur pushed off from the door so that he too was standing straight. It was then that Alfred realized that he really was taller than Arthur, albeit by only a small portion. "Al… Can you please just-?"

"Will you go out with me?"

Silence. "What."

Alfred took in a deep breath. He met Arthur's wide, puzzled eyes. He put on a hesitant smile. "We haven't hung out yet, have you noticed that? We haven't seen each other in 6 years, and… wouldn't it be nice? To just relax for a while?"

Arthur didn't reply. He just looked at Alfred, still looking confused. Alfred grabbed his shoulders and bent down a little so that his blue eyes met his green ones. "Please… can we just stop being at each other's throats like this?" Even he could hear the pleading tone in his voice. "I don't want us to be this way… not with you…"

Arthur continued to just look at him, uncertainty and another emotion mixed in his eyes. "I…" his eyes softened, and Alfred saw an expression in him that he hadn't seen in a long while; Arthur was relaxed. "I would love to."

Alfred beamed. "Tomorrow then. We'll hang out tomorrow." For now, Alfred decided to push his thoughts to the back of his mind. Looking at Arthur's strangely childlike expression, Alfred's desire to help him only grew. _No matter whom I ask, only Arthur knows the full story, so until I can gain his trust, I'll have to learn how to live in the dark._ He thought back to the words he said to Lovino. _I want to help him because I "owe him"…_

He hadn't told Lovino the full truth.

* * *

><p><em>And with this, the year ends, only for another to begin…<em>

_I only made this account at the end of March, and yet I feel like I've been here forever. Thank you to all those that follow, review, favorite, and even just read my stories. It means a lot, especially since before I came here, not many would read my stuff. At any rate, thanks again and happy New Year's everyone._


	12. Unexpected Situations

_Can I just say that I really love it when people review? I mean, all writers do, but the reviews for this story in particular is partially the reason why I haven't abandoned this fic (that and how I hate discontinued/abandoned fics in general and how I care for this story like Bunnymund and his eggs). This fic's reviews, albeit few, have a much higher quality than any of my other stories, so I really mean it when I say thanks to the people who review this story. At any rate, I hope you like this update!_

_**P.S.**__ Please, please, __**please**__ do not expect me to go in-depth with the machinery in this game (nor should you expect me to get everything completely right). My level of understanding in regards to machinery is very low, so at any time any machinery in this story comes up it will be simplified and/or made up. More than often I will not know the name of a certain part/certain parts, so be wary of that._

_P.P.S. Chapter 6 has been edited._

* * *

><p>"<em>Life is filled with the unexpected."<em>

There were two types of ships: sky-ships and seaborne ships. Both were essentially the same, but the somewhat small differences between them set them apart immensely. Sky-ships were generally smaller than waterborne ships, but they still gave off the same feeling of awe one would feel when faced with a gargantuan vessel. Sleek and smaller, sky-ships resembled a bird with the added sails on either side of the ship. Propellers with a bullet-like casing were at both sides of the keel of the ship, somehow attached to the engine deep inside the ship. Despite being able to travel anywhere there was air, sky-ships were usually only used to travel on the areas inside a continent, mostly because they were built to suit the conditions for their own continent. Nevertheless, each city had a port no matter where they were on the continent to accommodate for these two types of ships.

At the far end of the Commercial District lay Memoria's ports, which was where Arthur and Alfred were now. Various sky-ships towered over everything, held to the ground by mechanisms at the sides of the docks that would encase the bottom of the hull until they had to depart. Despite the threat of the Nex and the added disappearance of the foreign heirs, life at the ports ran as usual. Cargo was transported in and out of the ships, and people filled the area nearly as much as they did the center of the Commercial District, despite it still being morning. This, however, did not bother Alfred in the least, for he was far away from the hubbub of the main section of the ports.

"How'd you figured out about this place?"

Alfred turned to Arthur, breaking the silence that had played out between them since they had arrived. They were sitting on some forlorn crates in a secluded alleyway at the far side of the ports. The alley was angled in a way that you wouldn't see it until you were in front of it and since it was away from the main crowd, most tended to ignore the alleyway completely. Arthur had been the one to bring them there, although the reason why was left for speculation. Nevertheless, both had opted out to just look out into the distance instead of actually conversing with each other, although the steam from the coming and going ships covered the view.

For this occasion, Alfred wore a gray long-sleeved shirt with cuffs over a striped dark blue single-breasted waistcoat and dark trousers, abandoning his usual look because of the rarity of the situation. Arthur wore a dark spring green double-breasted waistcoat and dark brown trousers, a loose fitting single-breasted overcoat thrown around his shoulders. He turned to Alfred, his eyes clearing as if breaking out of the daze.

"When you live in a place long enough, you can't help but learn its secrets," he finally answered after a while, turning back to the view. Alfred smiled.

"Same goes for people, right?" Alfred spoke before Arthur could. "I know I asked you out to avoid anything that can get us at each other's throats, but can't you tell me what's on your mind? It's a bit aggravating you know, being locked out of your mind."

To Alfred's surprise, Arthur spoke immediately. "I… I never really brought you here, didn't I?" He stated simply as if he was merely bringing up the weather.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind that you never did. I'm more of a plane person, remember?"

"I know." Alfred cringed at the subtle yet strong change in Arthur's expression.

_I just keep saying the wrong things, don't I?_ He cleared his throat. "W-why are you thinking about that anyways? You brought me here now, didn't you?"

"No reason in particular. Just a simple recollection is all." Alfred frowned, ignoring the sad and bitter aura Arthur had.

"You know, you're too hung up on the past." He didn't notice Arthur turn sharply towards him, since Alfred himself turned away at the same instant. "Even though you don't talk about the past that much, the future seems nonexistent to you. It's like you live in the past."

"Your past shapes your future. You can't have an 'after' without a 'before'," he replied rather pointedly.

"True, but the future is what everyone works towards for," Alfred leaned back, turning back towards the other. "Now that I think about it…" He kept his voice conversationally light. "I don't know much about your past at all. Hell, I didn't even know you had _actual _siblings until recently. Who knows what other things you've kept from me?"

"Why talk about the dirt that we walk on? Why talk about the particles of air that we breathe?" Arthur shrugged. "Some things, while important, are simply things that most wouldn't care to know more about."

"Unfortunately for you, I care to know." Arthur made no indication that he acknowledged what Alfred had said. Alfred sighed, deciding to change the subject for now. "It hasn't rained for a while now, did you notice that?"

"The weather is rather odd, but that's hardly what I'm concerned about." Arthur tilted his head in confusion. "Now why would you bring that up so suddenly?"

"Rainy days are sort of like our thing, aren't they?" Alfred said absentmindedly. "We met on a rainy day, right?"

"Yes… But you also left on a rainy one." Arthur's voice grew soft as he turned away.

Alfred fidgeted. _This isn't going how I wanted today to go…_ He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Arthur.

"It was here, wasn't it?" He stated dully after a while.

Alfred knew what he was talking about immediately. "Not on this exact spot, but around here. To tell you the truth, how did you manage to find me? I thought I did a good job in sneaking away…"

"I just did." He became silent for a while. "Why… why did you want to be an aviator so badly? It's a noble occupation, I know, but… that wasn't necessary."

"It was, and you know it." Alfred took in a deep breath. "You treated me like… like a brother. You took care of me and doted on me and really, thanks for that, but…" He gently grabbed the other's chin with a hand, making the other turn towards him. "You couldn't let me go."

Arthur didn't respond for a while. When he did, his voice was devoid of feeling. "Like you said, I treated you as if you were my own brother. Naturally I grew attached to you." He moved the hand away. "_Too _attached in my opinion… Maybe it would have been best if we had not met at all."

Alfred narrowed his eyes, his dejected hand falling to his side. "You and I both know that neither of us would want that."

"The right thing has never been the easiest road to take. Not much would have changed if you and I had never met."

"Everything would."

The conversation stalled after that. Alfred sighed and stood up. "And here I thought we could finally relax around each other." He turned to Arthur and offered a hand. "C'mon. You brought me here and I want to bring you somewhere too."

Arthur looked at the hand, hesitantly accepting it with his own. "Alright."

'

"I thought you wanted me to relax."

Alfred scratched the back of his head as he turned to Arthur, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest in a pretense of mild irritation. They were inside Alfred's unit's hangar, a sorry little place not very far from their unit's base. Alfred and Arthur stood near the back of the room, a door on the far right leading to a shed with some tools inside. The hangar door was wide open, the runway in view. The sun shone with the brightness of the afternoon, although the mood between the two was as dark as night.

Only two planes were contained in the hangar: the standard one given to every unit and Alfred's personal own. While the other one was rather plain in appearance, Alfred's was sleek and shiny. According to him, all the time he didn't spend with Arthur was spent with his plane. He prized his plane as much as his own family, he had said.

"You haven't berated me yet, so aren't you relaxed right now?" Alfred put on a humorless smile. "I wanted to bring you here in the first place, but you wanted to go to the ports first." He walked towards the other. "Really, I don't see why you hate my job so much. What's there to hate?"

"It's not your _job_ I hate, it's more like…" Arthur sighed. _It's not time yet…_ "So I saw your plane." He gestured towards the vessel, which was admittedly beautiful. "How did you manage to afford such an expensive aircraft?"

"I'll give you three guesses, but you get no points if you get any of them right." Alfred didn't wait for him to reply. "So what do you think?"

"I…" He struggled to get his words out. Despite everything he felt towards aviators, he felt none of that towards Alfred. Even though he embarked on a path Arthur tried not to put him on, he did turn into an admirable young man. Nosy, cheeky, and stubborn, but an admirable young man nonetheless. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks." Alfred's smile grew wider but held a faint hint of unhappiness behind them. "Nice to see you still acting like an older brother towards me even when I'm older now."

Arthur frowned. _Did I say something wrong?_ "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," Alfred shook his head furiously. His eyes turned towards his plane. "Hey… do you think that maybe you'd like to-?"

"No." Arthur bit his lip. "Not for the reasons you'd think. I just have some bad memories concerning aircrafts…"

"What happened?" Arthur shook his head.

"It never happened to me personally, but…" He let out a sigh. "Al, this whole outing is going nowhere."

"Arthur, I only wanted to-"

"Thank you Mr. Zwingli, for allowing me to search here."

"It's alright. One of the men you deem responsible happens to be part of my unit, so it's only natural that you search for him in places he normally goes to."

Both of them froze. A fraction of a second later, Alfred took his arm and tugged him inside the cockpit of his plane. "Hide here." He whispered.

"What about you?" There wasn't really any more room inside to fit in another person, and from the sound of their voices, Alfred wouldn't have enough time to get inside the other one. Alfred put a finger on his lips to tell Arthur to be quiet as he hid behind his plane.

"Are you mad? They'll see you the-!"

Alfred pushed him down as the two men came to view, crouching down immediately afterwards. Arthur ended up in a cramped position with his knees touching his chin, but Alfred was his main worry at the moment. He hoped with all his heart that they wouldn't think to look near the plane.

"That's odd." A voice Arthur didn't recognize came out. "I'm sure that I left the hangar door closed."

"Could it be thieves?" Arthur recognized the Etan monarch's voice. "Or possibly the Nex?"

"I doubt it's either. Even though it would be less trouble to target us, they would have nothing to gain from it. Plus, nothing seems unchanged except for the hangar door being open. I believe the most plausible situation would be that we just missed Alfred. He usually forgets to close the door and he's the only one other than me that comes here."

"Do you know where he is now?" The hair on Arthur's neck rose. _I knew that Kiku would be looking for him!_ Regret washed over him. _I shouldn't have agreed to this knowing the risks, but…_ Like Alfred, he also wished to just take a break for once. While they did fight, Arthur did enjoy spending time with Alfred. It reminded him of the good old days, the times they got along. Obviously everything has changed since then, so Arthur had thought that maybe he could figure out what was on the lad's mind with this outing. _The boy accuses me of keeping things hidden, but he's not any better himself…_ Arthur shook his head slightly and resumed listening to the two men's conversation.

"I know nothing of his private life so no, I do not know his current whereabouts or where he could be. Say..." The unknown voice had a twinge of doubt to it. "Are you sure that it was him who helped the princes escape? While he may be too energetic for his own good, he doesn't seem the type to do such a thing."

"It was either him or his companion, and seeing as how I have no leads on Mr. Kirkland, I can only look for Mr. Jones." Arthur heard Kiku sigh. "I do not wish to condemn those two for this crime. They seem like good men, and the men at the_ La Tomate_ Inn assured me that they wouldn't do such act." He sighed again. "All I wish is for my cousin and his friend to return back to safety and punish those who have let them escape from their duties."

"I would do the same if I was in your situation. I'm sure that he will be found soon, although I haven't seen Alfred for a while now. I suppose that it is rather suspicious behavior, but then again, who would bother to appear in my mess of a unit?"

"If I may, can I ask why you were placed in a unit below your abilities? I have seen you practice before in the castle, and you seem to have been previously acquainted with King Edelstein."

"Whatever he's been telling you, I was never childhood friends with him." The other coughed. "As for my current position, I chose it myself. Being the youngest commander as well as one of the newer ones, I only thought it was fair to start in a rank befitting of my status."

"That may be, but I honestly believe that you are fully capable of being Memoria's general despite your age. King Edelstein certainly thinks so."

There was a brief silence. One of them sighed. "Well, it seems that Alfred isn't here. I'm sorry that I could not be of any help."

"It is fine. I apologize though, for having you to use up your time to help me."

"I only did what others would do." A pause. "Wasn't the Aetian prince one of the missing? Maybe the Aetian emperor might have a lead."

"That may be so." Arthur could hear the subtle discomfort in Kiku's voice. "At any rate, it seems that I will have to return to talk to Emperor Wang Yao."

"I'll lead you back."

The footsteps walked off, with the sound of the hangar door closing following soon after, making the only light source the windows at the side. Arthur waited a few minutes before getting up. He turned to Alfred, who was crouched down beside him.

"You idiot!" Arthur's voice reverberated through the area. "Do you know how_ close_ you were to being caught?"

"Of course I do, but I didn't, so it's alright now isn't it?" Alfred stood up and stretched his legs. "Don't get so high-strung; we stayed unseen didn't we?"

"You have to be more careful!" The mere thought of Alfred being caught sent waves of fear through Arthur. "Gah, I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this! You should have stayed in the house, and-!"

"And what? Wait until the princes were caught and then rat me out?" Alfred narrowed his eyes. "No matter what I do, a target's already on my back. I'm just glad I managed to avoid getting you one as well."

"Didn't you hear him? He suspects me as well!" Arthur rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "Honestly, what was I thinking agreeing to this in the first place? It's dangerous what we're doing!"

Alfred scoffed. "Like you don't do anything dangerous? And stop treating me like your little brother!" His tone suddenly became irritated. "I'm not even related to you, and I'm old enough to take care of myself! Can't you see that you're not my brother anym-?!"

"Enough!" Alfred glared at him as Arthur straightened himself out. "I refuse to have this discussion again!"

"It seems like we need to 'cause you never seem to remember it!" Alfred exploded, his fists clenching painfully. "I'm _nineteen; _I'm not a kid anymore! You're not even my _real _brother, just someone who acts like one! Can't you see that I don't- and that I never did- _want_ to be your brother?!"

Arthur stood there, stunned as Alfred caught his breath. "That… that…" He clenched his fists and looked down, blinking away hot tears. "We're going home." No reaction. "_Now._"

The air in the room went still. Finally, Alfred looked up at him. "Arthur, that's not what I meant to sa-" He stopped as Arthur glared at him. Alfred looked away. "Alright. There's a door that leads outside in the shed, so we'll just leave from there."

Arthur nodded curtly in reply. He stepped off the plane, following Alfred to the shed door. Only one thought filled his mind:

_None of this went as I had hoped at all…_

''''''

"Wow... Memoria hasn't changed at all."

"Indeed, it is as if time has stopped here. It truly is amazing how little this city changes."

"Almost everything is exactly how I left it 6 years ago… Even now, the Commercial District has barely changed. There's even Arthur's bookstore over there!"

"Is it open? …No, the lights are closed." The older of the two sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if he ever actually does his _proper _job…"

Something caught the two males' eyes. "Hey, those two look lost! I wonder where their parents are…" The younger turned to the older one. "Should we go help them?"

"I don't see why not… Be careful though."

"I know."

They walked to the two teens, both of which were standing in front of the _Arcana_. The taller one wore a dark red vest over a coal black long-sleeved shirt over dark trousers, while the other wore a cerulean vest over a plain long-sleeved shirt as well as dark blue trousers. Both were whispering furiously to the other, occasionally glancing around every now and then.

"Excuse me." He tapped the taller one on the shoulder. Both teens whipped around to face him. "You two look lost. Are you alright?"

"Uhh…" The shorter one glanced at his companion for a second and then turned to the other two, his face blank. "We're uh, sort of looking for the _La Tomate _Inn. Do you, um, know where it is?"

"We were on our way there!" He smiled warmly at them. "Maybe we could help you."

"Where are your parents?" The older man, who had stayed silent until now, asked. "Certainly you two must have a guardian."

"We're meeting them at the inn," the shorter one replied quickly, his expression unchanged. "We went out shopping for a while and we were supposed to be back already, but we got lost and now we can't find our way back."

"Tourists, eh?" The younger male chuckled. "Don't worry, Memoria can be a bit daunting, but you learn to get used to it. Anyways, if it's alright with you two, we'll bring you over to the _La Tomate_ Inn."

"Huh?" The taller one spoke this time. "No offense, but you could just tell us the directions and we'll be on our way…"

The older man wagged a finger. "At the moment, you two are without a guardian. We'd feel terrible if we let you two wander around, especially since you're already lost now. It is better this way, no?"

"I suppose…" The taller one still looked skeptical. "By the way, what are your names? We can't thank you properly without knowing your names."

"I'm Matthew," said the younger male. He gestured to his older companion. "And this is Francis. At any rate, we should get going now. The sooner, the better, right?"

"Right." The two replied simultaneously.

The party of four started walking after that short exchange. Meanwhile the sun shone overhead, the light dimmed by the black fumes of the city.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for not updating for a while! I've been having some blocks among other things, so I apologize if my already irregular schedule slips up some more. On the bright side, the new Hetalia season comes out on my birthday :D Anyways, I hope you liked the update!<em>


	13. Illumination and Darkness

"_People can see others, but they cannot do the same for themselves."_

Arthur walked through the familiar path towards the _La Tomate _Inn. He was by himself, having left the other back at their house. Alfred had been oddly subdued and hadn't argued back when Arthur ordered him to stay there; unless Arthur's mind was playing tricks on him, Alfred had seemed quite crestfallen.

Not that he cared. Not now.

Arthur kept on walking, going past the Slums with a red haze filling his mind. He didn't know why he was going to the _La Tomate _Inn, but all he knew was that he wanted to be anywhere Alfred wasn't, at least for the time being.

_"I never wanted to be your brother!" _It seemed like ages since Alfred had said that, when in reality, it was still the same day. The memory played over and over again in Arthur's mind until all he could hear was Alfred's angered voice, tearing Arthur apart by how much he genuine he had sounded when he said that. Although those hadn't been his exact words, the message was the same.

Alfred didn't like him at all.

_Just how much does he like making me feel this way? I wonder, just how many times can he break me before I'm finally destroyed beyond repair? _Arthur stopped to wipe away the tears that had somehow manifested under his eyes. _I'm a fool for believing that I could actually get along with him after all these years…_

The familiar sight of the _La Tomate_ Inn came into view. Arthur pushed through the doors. "Oi, Carriedo!" Arthur didn't care if people were inside the inn right now; he wasn't in the mood to care about their opinions. "Do you mind if I stay here for a whi-?" He froze, his eyes traveling over to a pair sitting down at a table near the center of the nearly empty room.

_They got here much faster than I thought._ Arthur was stunned. He had only called him yesterday, so how did he get here so fa-?

"Why if it isn't Arthur!"

Francis turned to him, noticing that the other had entered the room. His wavy, shoulder length blonde hair swishing as he faced him, blue eyes bright. He was dressed casually today, wearing a sepia brown vest over a white long-sleeved shirt with gold buttons, dark brown trousers and a golden belt finishing the look. "When you called, we were already on the way to Memoria, so it wouldn't have mattered if you had called me or not."

"I was wondering why you responded to your mail faster than usual." Arthur had never told Alfred, but he had been exchanging mail with Francis while the other traveled (luckily, the other tended to stay in places for a lengthy amount of time, so Arthur generally knew where he was and could send him letters back without worry of another person receiving them). Each of Francis's letters would have the phone number he was using listed on the bottom so that Arthur could contact him if he needed to, but neither of them had to call each other much; obviously, he had to now. Combined with the things that had been going on lately, he hadn't noticed that Francis's last letter had come from an area close to Memoria. "It's for the better I suppose."

Francis shrugged as his companion stood up. "Arthur, how nice it is to see you!"

"To you as well Matthew." Arthur smiled as he greeted the younger boy, who was clad in a heavy tan coat and pants. Matthew was only one year younger than Alfred but was almost the same height as him and often seemed older than the other. He bore a striking resemblance to his brother such as how they both had to wear glasses and had almost the same build, but they also had their differences. For one thing, Matthew's blonde hair was wavy and was tinged with orange at the ends with a long curly piece of hair sticking out of his head and his eyes were a calming purple. Even though he looked like him, he wasn't like Alfred at all. "It's been quite some time since I've last seen you. How have you been?"

"I'm been faring well, thank you for asking," his voice was soft and quiet unlike Alfred's loud and demanding attitude. "And you?"

"Just fine, thank you." Matthew nodded at his answer and didn't pry any further, another thing that set him apart from his brother. Francis quirked an eyebrow and looked as if he was going to say something, but seemed to have went against it.

"Where's Alfred? You stated in your last letter that he was here with you in Memoria." Arthur frowned.

"He's keeping low over at my house. Be careful when you go to see him Matthew, the authorities and the Etan monarch are looking for him and they could easily mistake you for him." He spoke fast before they could interrupt. "Don't worry, the circumstances for this are quite complicated-" Arthur chose his words carefully, knowing that he hadn't told Matthew about Veritas. "-but he is still the Alfred you know."

"Then why does he need to hide…?" Matthew bit his lip. "He's over at your place, right? I sort of remember the way there, so if you'll excuse me…" He nodded his head in pardon and scurried away quickly. Francis chuckled when he left.

"What's so funny?" Arthur asked. It looked as if the man was sharing a private joke with himself. Francis turned to him when he had calmed down.

"I find it funny that you try to hide things from the boy. He knows, by the way." Arthur looked at Francis for a fraction of a second before glaring at him.

"What?! Since when?!" The other grinned.

"I believed that he had a right to know when he turned sixteen. He's not a child you know, and like his brother, he likes to help the people he cares about." Arthur was silent as he continued on. "He's also been finding information about the Nex as well as assisting me with earn money for this little group, so there's no reason why I should regret letting him know."

"Still, you…" Arthur sighed, losing steam. "I suppose it's alright. You said so yourself that he's helpful to you, so who am I to disapprove of that?" Something about what Francis said piqued Arthur's interest. "You mentioned he had a job?" Quite frankly, Arthur knew next to nothing about the younger male. While he did try to reach out to him when he was younger, he had found a stronger connection with Alfred.

Well look where that got him.

"Ah yes, he works as a mechanic for aircrafts such as planes." Arthur groaned.

"So even Matthew ends up with a job related to aviators." Francis chuckled.

"The sky calls to them both. You simply cannot ignore that, nor can you prevent it." Francis motioned for the other to take a seat on the table. "I caught your lie by the way." He said when Arthur was closer to him.

"What lie?" He sat down across from him as Francis sighed.

"'Just fine, thank you'? Arthur, you've lied more believably than that before." He frowned. "What is troubling you? You aren't the type to stay at an inn when you own a house, so there must be something on your mind."

_Everything's on my mind. _"Nothing much, just some stress getting to me," Arthur lied. Naturally, the other wasn't fooled.

"Arthur, let me be frank: you look as if you've just found out that the love of your life has been cheating on you for seventeen years." Arthur furrowed his eyebrows at the rather odd example.

"Of all the examples you could've used, you chose that one? I'm fine, so don't worry." Arthur waved a hand in a shooing motion. "Now then, there's something I need to tell yo-"

"It's Alfred, isn't it?"

Arthur didn't answer for a while after Francis's flat statement. He truly hated how well the other knew him. "Well, well, look who's the smart one," his voice came out painfully bitter. No use lying now. "Yes, yes it's Alfred."

Suddenly, it all came crashing down on him. He laid his elbows on the ground and buried his face on his arms. "Why must he be so stubborn? He refuses to stay out of my business, he refuses to follow my advice, and he refuses to see things from my perspective!" Arthur's voice rose with each word. "Why…?" He clenched his hands so that his head was resting on his knuckles. "Just why can't he realize that everything I do- every _damn _thing I do- is all for him?!" He looked up at Francis. "Why won't he accept that I'm just looking out for him, like a good 'brother' should?"

Francis, who had stayed quiet through his little rant, took in a deep breath and sighed. "I can see why Alfred would be frustrated with you."

Arthur couldn't believe this. "Oh, so you're taking _his _side now, aren't you?" He sneered. Francis didn't reply. "Don't you see how _frustrating_ it is when he's like this? There's a _reason_ the authorities and a monarch are looking for him! He made a mistake and to get out of it, he had to help two princes escape! Do you know how _scared_ I get when I think of what might happen if he got caught?" He took in a breath. "And then he goes out in the open as if everything's alright! We almost got _caught_ today too, and it's entirely my fault!"

"Arthur, you-" Francis didn't have a chance to finish what he was saying.

"To think that I actually agreed to his little proposition!" Arthur let out a short bark of laughter. "'To stop being at each other's throats' he says… Look where that got us!" His voice became harsher by the second. "He practically said to my face that he hated me, so why do I even try?"

Arthur took in a deep breath and leaned on one of his hands, his anger and frustration ebbing away. "Everything's going out of control," he said at last, voice dull. "I don't know what's what anymore."

"Arthur..." Francis spoke with a mature tone, the type a big brother would use. "Can't you see what you're doing to the boy?"

"Looking out for him and making sure that he's safe?" Arthur scoffed dryly. "I don't see what's so horrible about that."

"You're _coddling_ him, Arthur." Francis's voice was gentle yet firm. "You still see him as the eleven year old you found him as when in reality, he's become a man," his voice became gentler. "It's time you let go of the past."

"What are you talking about? I do _not _see him as an eleven year old." Arthur insisted. _Why can't he see where I'm getting at? _"But this isn't child's play, Francis. The Nex is serious enough that every monarch in the world are concerned about them, so naturally I don't want him to be a part of it." He heaved a sigh. "I tried to prevent it from happening, but he's tied himself too deeply into this. I'm only trying to ensure that he's safe by the time this has all ended."

"Arthur…" Francis sighed. "How many years has it been since the incident that started it all? Twelve years or so?" Arthur nodded. "That's more than half of your life spent trying to right a wrong you had no hand in creating. Who knows how long this can last?" He shook his head. "You can't keep the boy under your wing forever."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Arthur looked down with downcast eyes. "Why him? Why did it have to be him who wanted to find out the truth? If I hadn't met him, then he could be leading a normal, happy life by now."

"Arthur, I know you don't want that."

"That just makes it worse! When he could be peacefully living a normal life, he ends up being affiliated with me, and look at where that's gotten him." Arthur wasn't bitter or angry: just sad. "Whenever he's with me, he ends up being frustrated or irritated as well as in danger, and it's all because of me. It doesn't help that only I know the truth about the Nex and that I'm one of their major targets." Arthur knew that by being by his side, Alfred had a high chance of being targeted by the Nex as well. "Out of all the people in this world, Alfred's the only one I want out of this, and yet it's him who wants to be ensnared in this whole business like me."

"No doubt he feels the same about you." Arthur looked at Francis in surprise. "Not exactly that way, but try being in his shoes. If you learned that the person you care about is dealing with something dangerous and is keeping it a secret from you, naturally they would want to help you. In Alfred's case, it's torture that you're preventing him from helping…" He struggled for the right word. "Well _you._"

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is," Francis put his hands on the table. "_Trust_ the boy more. The boy cares about you as much as you do for him, even more so. I know you mean well trying to protect him, but all you're doing is preventing him from helping you and it's agony for him for you to do that. It's time you let go and just watch what he can do." Arthur stared at him.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate it when you're right about people?" Arthur sighed. "I hate to say it, but what you're saying actually makes sense…"

Francis chuckled. "Knowing people is my specialty, Arthur; I would've thought you'd know that by now. Now that that's over though…" He stood up from his chair. "What did you need to discuss? …Although it would be better if we go to the back. I'm sure you don't want anyone overhearing, no?"

"True." Arthur stood up as well. They started to walk towards the door to the other room, the room where Arthur had caught Alfred trying to follow him soon after he arrived. When they were close to it, Francis stopped.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked, looking back at him. Francis fixed him with a serious expression.

"Say…" he trailed over. "How would you react if you loved someone but no matter what you did, they didn't notice your feelings?"

"What kind of question is that?" Arthur looked at him strangely. "I have no time for romance. Not with the Nex around at least." Arthur would be lying if he said that he had never wished for romance at least once in his life. If the Nex wasn't around, Arthur would have been looking for a partner by now, preferably someone strong enough to hold their own and would stay by his side no matter what. "But if I really had to answer… then I'd get annoyed at how dense they are and try harder."

"And if it still didn't work?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"I'd persist. After all, I'm not the type that quits." Francis still didn't move from where he was.

"How do you feel about Alfred?" He asked suddenly. Arthur furrowed his eyebrows.

"I love him as if he was family, what else?" For some reason, Francis seemed to be disappointed with that answer, but Arthur didn't really care. They had more important things to be discussing after all. "Well, are you coming or not? I didn't call you over here to stand around and interrogate me, although I do appreciate your advice from earlier."

"I am, don't worry." Francis walked forward. "Alfred, _mon ami_, you have a long way to go…"

"What was that?" Arthur knew that Francis had spoken, but it was so low that he hadn't heard. Francis shook his head.

"It's nothing… What did you need to tell me by the way?" Arthur narrowed his eyes as he pushed open the door. He knew that Francis was purposely trying to change the subject, but right now, he had to let it slide.

"Come in, I need to talk to you about Peter…"

''''''''

Alfred slammed a fist into the wall the moment Arthur left.

"Why?!" He slammed another fist. "Why can't I do anything right?!"

He stormed into the living room, which was painted a light mint green and had wooden floors. Two armchairs were on the middle of the room on top of the intricate square rug on the floor, a small wooden table separating the chairs. The unlit fireplace was at the front of the room, picture frames lined up on the mantelpiece; all of them were pictures from the time Arthur took care of him when he was a child, none of them from the time before.

Alfred plopped down on one of the chairs. _Of all the possible things I could've said to him…_ He smacked his forehead. _ Arthur probably hates my guts right now… Not that I can blame him though…_

He sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes as he did so. He reopened them when he heard the doorbell ring.

_Who could that be? _Not many knew where Arthur lived, so the list of people who was at the door right now was rather small. "Coming!" He called out as he hurried over to the entrance. He opened the door.

He couldn't believe what he saw.

"Mattie?!" Matthew grinned at his brother's shock.

"Alfie, you're alright!" Alfred scowled as he hugged his brother.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that? It's embarrassing…" Matthew was still grinning when he let go.

"And 'Mattie' is somehow better? Although unlike you, I embrace my nicknames." Alfred moved out of the way to let his brother in. He looked around. "Wow, so this is Arthur's house... We didn't go here much, didn't we?"

"Nah, we only ever stayed at Francis's manor. Even Arthur didn't use this house much back then." Alfred led the other to the living room and offered him a seat. "So how have you been, little bro? It's been a while since your last letter." Alfred never had the time to tell Arthur, but he had been communicating with Matthew via letter for quite some time now. Last letter he sent, Matthew had been telling Alfred that they were on their way for Memoria to visit.

"Nothing much really." Matthew sat down on an armchair as Alfred sat on the other one. "I doubt it's the same for you though: you look as if you've been run over by a sky-ship. Even Arthur seemed furious a while ago."

"You saw Arthur?" Alfred sat up at the mention of the other's name. "Where?"

"How do you think I knew you were here? I ran into him a while ago at the _La Tomate _Inn."

"Did he seem angry to you?"

"Yeah, he certainly seemed like he was." Matthew looked at Alfred worriedly as he slumped back. "Alfred, what's going on? I didn't press for details, but it definitely seems like something happened to you two."

"Tell me Matt, have you ever fought with Francis?" Alfred didn't need to look up to see that Matthew's expression softened.

"Plenty of times, but I'll assume that you had quite a big one with Arthur."

"More like accidentally dumping salt on an unhealed scar." Alfred buried his head in his arms. "Matthew, how stupid could I get to say that I never wanted to be Arthur's 'brother'?"

"_Oh. _Well…" Matthew sighed. "You never told him, didn't you?"

"I never had the chance to since the time I came here." Alfred heaved a sigh. "But that's not my main concern right now. Look, let's just say that Arthur's keeping stuff from me and well, I need to know what it is and Arthur refuses to tell me. It's maddening how he refuses to trust me."

"Al…" Matthew walked up so that he could place an arm on his shoulder. "Try looking at things from his perspective. It's tough, you know, leading Veritas, and I bet he's tiring himself out doing that as well as taking care of you and keeping you safe."

"That's just it!" Alfred shooed the arm away. "He treats me like a child and- hey, wait!" He turned to Matthew, his eyes wide. "You know about Veritas?!"

"Huh? Oh…" Matthew fidgeted under Alfred's intense stare. "Francis told me about it when I turned sixteen... He made me promise not to tell you though, although it wasn't that hard seeing as you were busy training at that time."

"Great, this is just great!" Alfred threw his hands up. "Even _you_ know more than me! Now that's just brilliant, isn't it?!"

"Alfred, calm down!" Matthew kneeled down beside him. "I only know that Arthur's leading a group called Veritas that's against the Nex and that Francis travels around gathering information and earning money for them, so I know as much as you do!" These words did nothing to calm Alfred's irritation.

"It doesn't matter how much you know, at least Francis is willing to tell you these things!" Alfred stood up and started pacing angrily. "Do you know how long it took me to get Arthur to even _tell_ me about Veritas? You got it easy, having Francis tell you straight out!"

"Alfred, please calm dow-!"

"How come this isn't like those secret-group-against-bad-guys movies, where even though the protagonists fight each other but eventually learn to trust each other with their secrets and have each other's backs? How come that can't happen to us?" Alfred's voice rose as he walked towards the nearest wall. "Sure I thought this whole thing was- and still is- a pretty cool thing to do, but I know it's dangerous and risky! I'm not stupid and I'm certainly not incompetent, so why does he feel as if I'm some baby he needs to take care of? He doesn't have to hide every. Single. _Thing_ just to protect me!" He hit the side of the wall with each emphasized word.

"You remember, don't you? When I decided to become an aviator?" Matthew frantically nodded when Alfred turned to him. "Sure it's because I love flying, but it was also because of the recent rise of sky pirates and how I didn't want what happened to us to happen to anyone else. When I saw that this whole thing was getting to Arthur, I promised myself that I would be the best aviator there is so that Arthur didn't have to worry anymore! I even had to run away to let that happen! Even though hurting Arthur isn't something I wanted to do, me being an aviator has actually _helped_ him before!"

"Al, _please_, just calm dow-!"

"And then I learn that he's trying to go against Nex!" Alfred ignored Matthew's words completely. "And that he's the leader of the group! The _leader_! Why in the _world_ would I not help him after learning that? But I can't help him if I don't know _why_ he's doing any of this, _why_ he wants to go against the Nex this badly even though we have the military already trying to do that! So what do I do? Find out why of course!"

"Alfie, I know what you're going through, but can you please just calm dow-?!"

"But how can I do that if he doesn't tell me anything?!" By now, Alfred was practically screaming at the top of his lungs. "Don't you see how _frustrating _it is when he's like this? He refuses to tell me anything, he refuses to have my help without getting mad about it later, and he refuses to trust me! It's tearing me apart trying to figure it out!" Alfred's hand slumped down to his side. "Can't he see that I only want to help?" He said, his voice coming out small and dejected.

Alfred didn't notice that Matthew had gotten up, that he had walked all the way over to him. "Alfred…" His hand clasped his shoulder as he led the other back to his seat. "Let me tell you a little story…"

"The story starts with two brothers- one older, one younger- and a happy family in a small town. One day, their lives were completely obliterated as sky pirates destroyed everything they had ever known. Escaping the flames of death and destruction, the brave older brother took the last part of his family left and traversed across Memoria, only to finally end up at its capital, which funnily enough, is also named Memoria. There, they ran into a kind fifteen year old boy who took them in to his temporary home with a rich eighteen year old and his family. Overtime, the younger brother became friends to the rich son while the older brother became close with the fifteen year old who found them. For the two years they spent together, the four were happy."

Matthew sat Alfred down as he continued his 'story', kneeling down in front of the other. "But they couldn't stay that way forever, not with news of a ferocious sky pirate group cropping up. The heroic older brother, who had found a love of flight, wished to become an aviator in the hopes to aid those in need. However, for reasons unknown the fifteen-now-seventeen year old he had befriended hadn't wanted that and tried his best to prevent the older brother from becoming an aviator. The older brother, though, wanted- no, _needed_- to become an aviator with all his heart, so he did the only thing he could…"

"He ran away."

"Matt…" Matthew held a hand up to quiet the other.

"He ran away when the rich son whom the younger had befriended offered the chance for him to become an aviator, taking the younger brother along with him. For six years the older brother and the boy who found them didn't see each other, one heartbroken from the older brother leaving him, the other fixated on his goal. Six years later, they reunited." Matthew met Alfred's eyes. "What do you think?"

Alfred didn't reply for a while. Finally, he heaved a sigh. "Matthew, what was the point of telling me my life story?" Matthew grinned.

"Tell me Al, what's your favorite saying?"

"'The sky's the limit'."

"And what does it mean?"

"There is no limit." Alfred sighed again. "Matthew, how is this supposed to help me?"

"It calmed you down, didn't it?" Matthew joked before turning serious again. "But you forgot the second meaning: there's nothing a person can't do. As long as they set their mind to it, they can achieve anything." Matthew stood up. "Look Alfred, I know you're upset that Arthur's keeping secrets from you, but he has his reasons as well. Just try to be patient with him, alright?"

"I _try_, but…" Alfred creased his forehead with his forefinger and thumb. "It's just difficult, alright? Trying to help him when he pushes me away."

"He's trying to _protect_ you by pushing you away." Matthew moved his hand away from his forehead. "It's frustrating, yes, to have him hide things from you, but it's hard for Arthur as well. All he wants to do is look out for you, and with the things in his plate, I can see why he would. Try not to press him so much for details and just trust that he'll tell you everything you need to know eventually."

"I could be more useful to him if I knew his motive. That way, I could do more than just the things that he asks of me to do.s"

"Remember the saying, Al: 'The sky's the limit' and the sky is certainly the limit in the ways that you can help him. There are other ways you can help Arthur and there are other ways you can learn the truth, you just have to find them. I know you can do it," Matthew added. "It's one of the things I envy about you..."

"With you, it seems like anything's possible."

Alfred didn't reply for a while. Finally, he heaved another sigh. "Matthew, sometimes I question who's older: me or you." Matthew laughed.

"You, definitely you. I could never do half the things you do."

"Same goes to you, little bro." Alfred clasped his hand on the other's shoulder. "Thanks Matthew."

"You're welcome." Matthew moved the shoulder away and stood up, sitting down nearby. "Now that that's over, care to explain to me why you have to hide away from the authorities and a foreign monarch?"

"I'll assume you heard that from Arthur." Alfred leaned back. "Long story short, I had to sneak Arthur in the Royal District and we got caught by two foreign princes and to keep their mouths shut, I had to help them escape."

"That makes a bit more sense," Matthew smiled. "I knew you didn't do anything criminal on purpose. Who are these princes anyways?"

"The Aetian and Etan heirs, Yong Soo and Kaoru." Matthew's eyes widened. "Matt, is something wrong?"

"I think we met them!" It was Alfred's turn to have his eyes widen. "We found them wandering around Arthur's bookshop and brought them to the inn when they were looking for it. The minute we got there, Elizabeta happened to be leaving with these two Memorian guards and saw them and took them away. She told me that they knew their guardians so we left them with them and stayed inside the inn until Arthur came. Wow…" Matthew leaned back on his chair. "To think that I had accidentally met with royalty…."

"They aren't as royal as you think, or at least, they don't really act like it," Alfred said, remembering the personalities of the royalty he had met. If he hadn't known they were of royal lineage, he would've assumed that they were normal people. "Or maybe it's 'cause they're foreign. Oh well, at least it solves my problem now."

"No kidding." Matthew's stomach growled. Alfred stood up.

"Well will you look at that." He grinned. "Wait here; I'll go make us something to eat."

"Sounds great."

Alfred walked away, feeling a lot better after his talk with Matthew. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Hey Matt…" He stopped when he was at the other end of the room and turned towards the other. Matthew looked up.

"Yes Alfred?"

"Remember that 'story' you told me?"

Matthew looked puzzled. "Yeah, what about it?"

"You forgot one important detail…" Alfred turned away and started walking again. "You never mentioned that while the four were together…"

"The older brother had fallen in love with the boy who found them."

_Meanwhile…_

"You two are in a lot of trouble, ya know. D'ya know how worried Kiku was?"

"Lay off, my cousin wasn't that worried!"

"Yes he was… He was really worried and you two… shouldn't have run away in the first place."

"You don't get it! We don't want to go back!"

"Be quiet, you two are heirs and are to be treated as such!" Elizabeta snapped, effectively quieting the two princes.

The party of five walked quickly to try to get through the Commercial District and to the Royal District. Elizabeta hiked the skirt of her rose pink calico dress.

_Now that the heirs have been found, Alfred can finally be deemed innocent. _She had heard about the situation from Antonio and had been actively looking for the princes since then. She glanced behind where Sadik and Heracles were holding on to the princes. "While I didn't need an escort to the inn, I'm glad you two came with me nonetheless." She had been leaving the Royal District when the two guards saw her and insisted on escorting her, saying that she was a lady and other such things. She didn't need escorts, but they couldn't be shaken off, so she had agreed in the end.

"Yeah, we managed to catch these two in the process." Sadik glanced at Kaoru, who glared at him in reply. "Now all this silliness can end."

"I agree." Heracles, who was holding on to Yong Soo, nodded his head in agreement. "I never thought… that I would ever say that… to you."

"It is rather surprising, isn't it?" Elizabeta chuckled. They kept on walking until they stopped near the _Arcana_, where a messenger ran up to her.

"Pardon me miss!" He exclaimed to Elizabeta. The group halted where they were. "Do you happen to be Miss Hedervary?"

"Why yes." Elizabeta looked at the messenger boy, recognizing him as one of the messengers who frequently delivered her mail. The messenger reached into his bag and pulled out an envelope.

"I was told to give this to you." Elizabeta furrowed her eyebrows as she accepted the envelope.

"Who is this fro-?" She asked as she looked over the letter, which did not have an address other than her own. The boy had already scampered away, not hearing her question.

"What is it?" Elizabeta didn't answer Sadik's question as she opened the letter, skimming through the words quickly.

"Oh dear…" She covered her mouth when she finished reading the letter. She turned to the two guards. "We must hurry. It seems that the city will be attacked sometime in the future."

"What?!" Sadik ran up and tried to look at the letter, which Elizabeta refused to let him see. "Who's it from?"

"A reliable source." Was all she said. Heracles walked to her.

"Pardon my rudeness, but… How do you know that you can trust… this person?"

"I just do." They both nodded, not daring to press her further. "Now let's hurry, I have to tell Roderich the news…"

"The Nex are coming to Memoria."

They practically ran after that until the group finally reached the Royal District. It was there that they had noticed something, but it was too late.

In all the drama, none of them had noticed that the heirs had slipped away.


End file.
